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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: wax · toast · deal · rest · kid · perch · bark · prune

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. prune — to trim
  6. toast — bread
  7. deal — to handle
  8. rest — what's left
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. bark — to shout
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. kid — to tease
  19. prune — to trim
  20. kid — child
  21. perch — the fish
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. rest — a break

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