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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. club — for dancing
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — to grow
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. lean — thin
  10. lie — to recline
  11. fork — in a road
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. club — for golf
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. club — a group
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. lean — to bend

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