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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: roll · tear · bulb · prune · wax · foot · cap · saw

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. cap — of ice
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cap — a hat
  5. tear — from crying
  6. saw — the tool
  7. tear — to rip
  8. roll — a cake
  9. tear — from crying
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. prune — to trim
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. foot — a measure
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. prune — to trim
  16. roll — a list
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. cap — a lid
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wax — to grow
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. bulb — for light

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