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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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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: wax · rush · prune · arm · stick · kid · tear · mouse

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. kid — child
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. wax — to grow
  9. rush — hurry
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. tear — to rip
  16. prune — to trim
  17. tear — from crying
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. prune — to trim
  21. tear — from crying
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. kid — to tease
  24. arm — part of the body

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