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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.

Make a worksheet

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: ball · prune · date · wax · arm · mug · spell · wind

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. date — the fruit
  3. spell — magic
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. mug — a face
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. ball — a great time
  10. mug — a cup
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. spell — letters
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wax — to grow
  18. ball — a dance
  19. spell — a short time
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. mug — to rob
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. prune — to trim
  24. wax — for sculpting

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