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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 120 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: stem · prune · lie · kid · can · pitch · cap · wax

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. lie — to recline
  3. can — to be able to
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. cap — a lid
  8. kid — to tease
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. cap — of ice
  12. prune — to trim
  13. can — a tin
  14. pitch — completely
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. cap — a hat
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. can — a tin
  23. kid — child
  24. prune — the fruit

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