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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: race · hide · deal · wax · mate · rush · pit · prune

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — to breed
  4. prune — to trim
  5. pit — in a race
  6. deal — to handle
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. mate — a friend
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wax — to grow
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. rush — hurry
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. prune — to trim
  18. race — a contest
  19. race — humankind
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. race — the arms race
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. deal — an agreement

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