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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.

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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: pop · prune · staff · pound · plane · wax · wound · ground

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. wound — an injury
  3. staff — employees
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pop — music
  6. pop — to visit
  7. ground — crushed
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pound — a weight
  10. staff — employees
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — to grow
  15. ground — the earth
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. ground — a position
  19. prune — to trim
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. staff — a stick
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pop — soda

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