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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. rush — hurry
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. stem — to come from
  7. prune — to trim
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wax — to grow
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. season — of the year
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. plane — a tool
  19. prune — to trim
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. season — in sport
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. prune — the fruit

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