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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: lash · prune · pop · object · mark · ground · safe · wax

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. mark — a trace
  3. pop — soda
  4. object — to protest
  5. wax — to grow
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ground — crushed
  11. object — a thing
  12. prune — to trim
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. ground — a position
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mark — a grade
  18. object — an aim
  19. pop — to visit
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. pop — music
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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