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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. suit — to fit
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. plane — a tool
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — clothes
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. kick — in football
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pound — a weight
  24. wax — to grow

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