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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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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: saw · spell · prune · mouse · press · stand · wax · coach

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  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. spell — a short time
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. prune — to trim
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. prune — to trim
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. spell — letters
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. saw — the tool
  17. press — newspapers
  18. saw — the tool
  19. press — to push
  20. spell — magic
  21. stand — to bear
  22. press — a publisher
  23. wax — to grow
  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