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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 116 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: staff · perch · leaves · prune · fall · wax · suit · bound

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  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. fall — to drop
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. fall — the season
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. staff — employees
  7. bound — obliged
  8. suit — in cards
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. prune — to trim
  11. perch — the fish
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. fall — to drop
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bound — tied together
  16. staff — a stick
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bound — certain
  19. staff — employees
  20. suit — clothes
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. suit — to fit
  23. leaves — to go away
  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