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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: can · key · prune · nail · rush · bark · straw · wax

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. key — in music
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. can — a tin
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. key — for a lock
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. bark — to shout
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. key — the most important part
  16. can — to be able to
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. prune — to trim
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. can — a tin

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