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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  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. bear — the animal
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bound — obliged
  4. prune — to trim
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. object — an aim
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bound — tied together
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. game — wild animals
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. object — to protest
  14. bear — the animal
  15. prune — to trim
  16. object — a thing
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. bound — certain
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. game — a match
  21. wake — a trail
  22. mark — a grade
  23. wax — for sculpting
  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