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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: wax · track · prune · perch · mine · hide · rock · saw

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. saw — the tool
  3. track — a path
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. wax — to grow
  6. track — a song
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. perch — the fish
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. rock — a stone
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. prune — to trim
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. prune — to trim
  18. saw — the tool
  19. track — to keep track
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rock — music
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. mine — belonging to me

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