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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. mug — to rob
  3. bear — the animal
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. mug — a face
  7. stock — shares
  8. mug — a cup
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a match
  12. plane — a tool
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. stock — goods
  18. pass — a permit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bear — the animal
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. prune — to trim

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