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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: fan · mark · wax · prune · safe · chest · stick · hide

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — of your body
  5. mark — a trace
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wax — to grow
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. prune — to trim
  14. chest — a box
  15. mark — a grade
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. mark — to pay attention

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