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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: fall · jam · wax · net · wave · chest · prune · cabinet

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. fall — the season
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. prune — to trim
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — after costs
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. fall — to drop
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. net — for catching
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. fall — to drop
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — a box
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. chest — of your body
  24. cabinet — ministers

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