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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: roll · cabinet · track · prune · tear · mate · bear · wax

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — to rip
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. prune — to trim
  9. roll — a cake
  10. mate — a partner
  11. track — a path
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. track — to keep track
  14. bear — the animal
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. wax — to grow
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. roll — a list
  20. mate — to breed
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. track — a song
  23. prune — to trim
  24. tear — from crying

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