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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: rash · firm · wake · mark · prune · calf · wax · pitcher

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. firm — a company
  5. rash — a series
  6. prune — to trim
  7. mark — a grade
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wake — a trail
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. wax — to grow
  13. rash — hasty
  14. firm — decided
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. firm — steady
  17. mark — a trace
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pitcher — a jug

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