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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. rash — a series
  9. prune — to trim
  10. foot — a measure
  11. spell — a short time
  12. prune — to trim
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. rash — hasty
  15. spell — letters
  16. spell — magic
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. snap — to click
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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