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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: prune · roll · wax · mouse · straw · shower · bear · mate

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mate — a partner
  5. prune — to trim
  6. roll — a cake
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. shower — rain
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. wax — to grow
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. shower — to wash
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. prune — to trim
  18. roll — a list
  19. mate — a friend
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bear — the animal
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. straw — dry grass

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