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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: snap · bay · bulb · mug · pitch · prune · tear · wax

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. pitch — completely
  3. mug — a cup
  4. snap — to click
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. tear — from crying
  8. mug — to rob
  9. bulb — for light
  10. tear — to rip
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bulb — for light
  18. prune — to trim
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — to grow
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. mug — a face
  24. prune — the fruit

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