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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. suit — to fit
  3. snap — to click
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. suit — in cards
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. wax — to grow
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. prune — to trim
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. suit — clothes

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