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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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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: lean · calf · cue · prune · jam · wax · trunk · bat

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — to bend
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. lean — thin
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bat — the animal
  10. wax — to grow
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cue — a signal
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. prune — to trim
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cue — for pool
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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