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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: cue · prune · leaves · perch · bear · wax · dip · pound

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bear — the animal
  3. prune — to trim
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. pound — a weight
  6. prune — to trim
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. perch — the fish
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. cue — a signal
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. dip — to sink
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a hint
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. bear — the animal

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