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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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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: mark · toast · prune · date · staff · wax · fork · snap

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. toast — bread
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. mark — a grade
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wax — to grow
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. prune — to trim
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. snap — to click
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. date — the fruit
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. prune — to trim
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. staff — a stick
  20. mark — a trace
  21. staff — employees
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. fork — in a road
  24. staff — employees

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