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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 124 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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. craft — a skill
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. pop — soda
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. perch — the fish
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — boats
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. spell — a short time
  13. prune — to trim
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. wax — to grow
  16. pop — to visit
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — magic
  19. season — in sport
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pop — music
  24. wax — in the ear

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