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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wax · hide · racket · press · suit · prune · snap · ball

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — clothes
  4. prune — to trim
  5. suit — in cards
  6. ball — a dance
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. press — to push
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. snap — to click
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. prune — to trim
  16. ball — a great time
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — a publisher
  19. wax — to grow
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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