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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. net — after costs
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. prune — to trim
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pass — a permit
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — in sport
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. prune — to trim
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. perch — the fish
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wave — with your hand
  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