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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hand — in cards
  3. hand — help
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. date — the fruit
  8. can — a tin
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. staff — employees
  11. prune — to trim
  12. can — to be able to
  13. prune — to trim
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. can — a tin
  18. wax — to grow
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. fork — in a road
  24. wax — for sculpting

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