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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. rash — hasty
  3. swing — to play on
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. swing — music
  7. drill — the tool
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. drill — army training
  10. bulb — for light
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. drill — a practice
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. root — of a word
  18. bulb — for light
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — a series
  21. prune — to trim
  22. root — of a plant
  23. root — the cause
  24. swing — in golf

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com