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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: leaves · cell · wound · pop · prune · toast · squash · wax

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. prune — to trim
  4. toast — bread
  5. pop — soda
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. cell — in biology
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — to grow
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pop — to visit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. squash — the sport
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. cell — a phone
  22. pop — music
  23. squash — to crush
  24. wound — an injury

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