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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: wax · present · mug · object · foot · kick · prune · rest

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. present — there
  3. present — a gift
  4. rest — what's left
  5. object — a thing
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. kick — in football
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. object — an aim
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. present — the time now
  13. mug — a cup
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. rest — what's left
  16. wax — to grow
  17. prune — to trim
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. object — to protest
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mug — to rob
  23. rest — a break
  24. mug — a face

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