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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 120 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: wax · clip · mark · prune · vault · object · coach · bear

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. object — a thing
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bear — the animal
  10. clip — a video
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — to grow
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. prune — to trim
  18. clip — to cut
  19. bear — the animal
  20. vault — a safe
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. object — to protest
  23. object — an aim
  24. clip — for paper

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