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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: wax · hand · can · wake · prune · stock · chair · lean

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. can — a tin
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. stock — goods
  5. chair — a leader
  6. prune — to trim
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. stock — shares
  11. wake — a trail
  12. can — to be able to
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. prune — to trim
  16. lean — to bend
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. hand — in cards
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. can — a tin
  22. hand — help
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. lean — thin

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