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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: wave · stick · prune · bear · season · vault · wax · jam

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  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. prune — the fruit
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — to grow
  4. season — of the year
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. season — in sport
  12. bear — the animal
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. bear — the animal
  15. prune — to trim
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. vault — a safe
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  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