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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
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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: cabinet · wave · date · drill · prune · sharp · wax · wound

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. drill — army training
  4. drill — a practice
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. prune — to trim
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. drill — the tool
  16. date — the fruit
  17. wound — an injury
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. wax — to grow
  20. sharp — clever
  21. prune — to trim
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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