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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: rock · bowl · bat · prune · wax · chair · last · stand

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. bat — the animal
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — a stone
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. last — finally
  11. wax — to grow
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chair — a leader
  14. prune — to trim
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. last — to go on
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. prune — to trim
  23. last — final
  24. bowl — a football final

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