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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: prune · charge · march · pass · bound · fan · wax · last

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. march — the month
  3. charge — electricity
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. last — final
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. march — the month
  11. prune — to trim
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. last — to go on
  16. bound — obliged
  17. pass — a permit
  18. bound — tied together
  19. march — music
  20. charge — a price
  21. bound — certain
  22. last — finally
  23. charge — in control
  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