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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.

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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: pound · bat · prune · hide · wax · suit · tube · fan

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. wax — to grow
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. bat — the animal
  5. suit — to fit
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. prune — to trim
  9. suit — in cards
  10. tube — the underground
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pound — a weight
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. tube — a container
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. suit — clothes
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. prune — to trim

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