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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: rule · court · prune · wax · sharp · can · rush · lean

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. can — to be able to
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rule — a law
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. rule — government
  10. wax — to grow
  11. rush — hurry
  12. can — a tin
  13. prune — to trim
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. court — for sport
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. lean — thin
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. court — of law
  20. lean — to bend
  21. court — of a king
  22. prune — to trim
  23. sharp — clever
  24. can — a tin

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