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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: cap · wax · rash · cabinet · court · prune · toast · craft

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of a king
  8. prune — to trim
  9. court — of law
  10. cap — of ice
  11. rash — hasty
  12. toast — bread
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rash — a series
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. wax — to grow
  19. craft — boats
  20. cap — a hat
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. craft — a skill
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cabinet — ministers

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