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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. wax — to grow
  8. row — a line
  9. wake — a trail
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pass — a permit
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. row — to paddle
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. leaves — to go away

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