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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 120 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: prune · wax · pass · bay · cell · drill · wave · club

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. drill — the tool
  3. club — a group
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. club — for dancing
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. cell — a phone
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. cell — in biology
  12. drill — a practice
  13. prune — to trim
  14. club — for golf
  15. prune — to trim
  16. drill — army training
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. wax — in the ear

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