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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 · sharp · safe · drill · wax · press · rest · racket

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. prune — to trim
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. prune — to trim
  10. drill — a practice
  11. wax — to grow
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. rest — a break
  14. drill — the tool
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. press — a publisher
  17. rest — what's left
  18. drill — army training
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. press — to push
  21. sharp — clever
  22. press — newspapers
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. prune — the fruit

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