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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: date · prune · net · toast · wax · deal · fine · wound

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. net — for catching
  3. deal — to handle
  4. wax — to grow
  5. net — after costs
  6. wound — an injury
  7. date — the fruit
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. net — in sport
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. prune — to trim
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. fine — high quality
  16. prune — to trim
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. fine — all right
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. wound — an injury
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. toast — bread

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