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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: pitch · spring · wax · arm · can · rush · prune · safe

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. spring — a coil
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. can — a tin
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. spring — the season
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. spring — of water
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. can — a tin
  19. pitch — completely
  20. can — to be able to
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — hurry
  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