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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: date · prune · board · wax · snap · lie · drill · bay

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. wax — to grow
  5. date — the fruit
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. board — a committee
  10. snap — to click
  11. drill — a practice
  12. prune — to trim
  13. board — to get on
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. lie — to recline
  16. prune — to trim
  17. drill — army training
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. drill — the tool
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. board — a flat piece

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