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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.

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: mug · coach · lean · ruler · prune · wax · wound · cap

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  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. ruler — for measuring
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. lean — to bend
  4. mug — to rob
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — an injury
  7. cap — of ice
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. cap — a hat
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. wax — to grow
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mug — a cup
  18. lean — thin
  19. mug — a face
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. cap — a lid
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  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