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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: last · wake · firm · wax · prune · calf · mate · game

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. prune — to trim
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. last — to go on
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. mate — to breed
  7. wake — a trail
  8. firm — decided
  9. last — final
  10. firm — steady
  11. last — finally
  12. mate — a friend
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. firm — a company
  19. game — a match
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. mate — a partner
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. prune — to trim

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