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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: bowl · prune · rock · wax · wake · lean · chip · pit

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. prune — to trim
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. chip — for betting
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. rock — music
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. lean — to bend
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. lean — thin
  18. rock — a stone
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pit — in a race
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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