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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: wax · plane · prune · temple · net · pop · lash · can

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. can — a tin
  3. pop — to visit
  4. net — after costs
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. prune — to trim
  7. can — to be able to
  8. net — in sport
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. plane — a tool
  12. net — for catching
  13. wax — to grow
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. can — a tin
  17. pop — music
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. pop — soda
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. temple — side of the head

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