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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 120 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: rest · prune · fall · wax · lean · safe · leaves · pass

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. lean — thin
  6. prune — to trim
  7. rest — a break
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. fall — to drop
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — a permit
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. rest — what's left
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — the season
  21. lean — to bend
  22. wax — to grow
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. rest — what's left

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