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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: hide · net · toast · ground · wax · club · prune · deal

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. club — for dancing
  4. toast — bread
  5. ground — a position
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — in sport
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. deal — to handle
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. wax — to grow
  12. club — for golf
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ground — crushed
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. net — for catching
  19. prune — to trim
  20. club — a group
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. prune — to trim
  24. wax — for sculpting

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