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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: net · trunk · fork · current · wax · prune · stem · lash

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — to grow
  3. prune — to trim
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — in sport
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fork — in a road
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. stem — to come from
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. net — for catching
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. current — happening now
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. current — electric
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. current — of water
  24. prune — to trim

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