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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 · scale · calf · lie · pitcher · rule · wax

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. lie — to recline
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. rule — government
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. wax — to grow
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rush — hurry
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. rule — a law
  19. scale — in music
  20. prune — to trim
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. scale — size or range
  23. lie — an untruth
  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