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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: wax · suit · racket · prune · kid · land · lash · bore

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. kid — child
  6. land — a country
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wax — to grow
  10. land — ground
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. suit — clothes
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bore — to tire
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. kid — to tease
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. land — to come down
  21. suit — to fit
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — gave birth

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