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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: chest · wax · prune · present · lash · pass · bear · safe

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. present — a gift
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. chest — of your body
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. present — the time now
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. chest — a box
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. prune — to trim
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. present — there
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pass — a permit
  23. chest — of your body
  24. pass — to succeed

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