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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 120 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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — music
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. bear — the animal
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. prune — to trim
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. prune — to trim
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. squash — to crush
  23. swing — to play on
  24. squash — the sport

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