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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wax · charge · plane · prune · lash · bay · field · pitch

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. pitch — completely
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. plane — a tool
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — electricity
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. charge — a price
  14. field — for sport
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. wax — to grow
  21. field — farmland
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. field — a subject
  24. prune — to trim

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