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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. cell — in biology
  3. pitch — completely
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. prune — to trim
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cue — a signal
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. cue — a hint
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. rest — a break
  16. dip — to sink
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. wax — to grow
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. cell — a phone
  24. rest — what's left

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