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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: prune · pit · season · plane · fine · wake · wax · perch

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. fine — all right
  7. season — in sport
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. prune — to trim
  10. perch — the fish
  11. season — of the year
  12. plane — a tool
  13. fine — high quality
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pit — in a race
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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