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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 116 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: racket · bear · fine · wax · wave · prune · perch · bay

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bear — the animal
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. fine — all right
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. wax — to grow

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