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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
468
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 · chip · spring · pass · wax · clip · bay · spell

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. spring — a coil
  5. chip — for betting
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — a short time
  8. clip — a video
  9. spring — the season
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. spell — letters
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. chip — to eat
  19. prune — to trim
  20. clip — for paper
  21. clip — to cut
  22. spring — of water
  23. wax — to grow
  24. pass — a permit

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