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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 124 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. snap — to click
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. rock — a stone
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. hand — help
  14. hand — in cards
  15. wax — to grow
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. date — the fruit
  24. safe — a strongbox

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