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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 120 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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. pass — a permit
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. march — the month
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. prune — to trim
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bulb — for light
  13. march — music
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. march — the month
  20. shower — rain
  21. wake — a trail
  22. shower — to wash
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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