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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: cap · wax · temple · prune · row · lash · field · foot

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. foot — a measure
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. cap — a lid
  7. field — a subject
  8. prune — to trim
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. field — for sport
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. wax — to grow
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. cap — a hat
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cap — of ice
  18. row — a line
  19. field — farmland
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. row — to paddle
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. row — a quarrel

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