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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.

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: season · tear · wax · vault · prune · firm · current · rock

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. current — happening now
  4. tear — from crying
  5. prune — to trim
  6. vault — a safe
  7. season — in sport
  8. firm — decided
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. tear — from crying
  12. rock — music
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. firm — a company
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. current — electric
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. tear — to rip
  20. firm — steady
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rock — a stone
  23. season — of the year
  24. current — of water

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