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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: deal · dip · bass · wax · prune · stick · chest · foot

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — low music
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. prune — to trim
  8. dip — to sink
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. wax — to grow
  14. chest — of your body
  15. deal — to handle
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. chest — a box
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. chest — of your body

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