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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
468
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: chest · mouse · object · prune · bay · file · fan · wax

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  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. prune — the fruit
  2. wax — to grow
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. file — a line of people
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. chest — a box
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. prune — to trim
  13. file — a tool
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. chest — of your body
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — a thing
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. object — an aim
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. chest — of your body
  22. file — a document
  23. fan — to cool the air
  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