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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: prune · rush · march · wind · board · lie · bulb · wax

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. prune — to trim
  8. march — music
  9. march — the month
  10. march — the month
  11. wind — moving air
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. board — a committee
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. wind — moving air
  17. rush — hurry
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — to get on
  20. prune — to trim
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bulb — for light
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. bulb — for light

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