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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: coach · dip · mark · spring · wax · prune · bat · bulb

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. spring — the season
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bat — the animal
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bulb — for light
  10. prune — to trim
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. prune — to trim
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. dip — to sink
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bulb — for light
  22. spring — of water
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. spring — a coil

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