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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: prune · object · fall · wax · arm · present · key · hide

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. wax — to grow
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. present — a gift
  5. fall — to drop
  6. present — there
  7. key — for a lock
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. fall — the season
  11. object — to protest
  12. object — an aim
  13. fall — to drop
  14. key — the most important part
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. present — the time now
  19. prune — to trim
  20. key — in music
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. prune — to trim

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