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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. spell — letters
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bank — of a river
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. spell — a short time
  10. swing — music
  11. bank — for money
  12. can — to be able to
  13. wax — to grow
  14. swing — to play on
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. can — a tin
  17. bank — for money
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wound — an injury
  22. swing — in golf
  23. spell — magic
  24. prune — to trim

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