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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: plane · mark · pop · wax · pass · safe · prune · chest

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. wax — to grow
  5. pop — music
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. pop — soda
  11. mark — a grade
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. pop — to visit
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. plane — a tool
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pass — a permit
  18. chest — of your body
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. chest — a box
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. prune — to trim
  23. chest — of your body
  24. mark — a trace

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