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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: bulb · prune · pass · present · kid · fork · arm · wax

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. prune — to trim
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. present — the time now
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bulb — for light
  11. kid — child
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. pass — a permit
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. kid — to tease
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. present — there
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. fork — in a road
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. wax — to grow
  24. bulb — for light

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