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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: ball · sharp · prune · trunk · wax · drill · stand · face

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. face — to point toward
  4. ball — a great time
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. prune — to trim
  7. face — to confront
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. face — part of the head
  10. prune — to trim
  11. drill — a practice
  12. ball — a dance
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. wax — to grow
  18. stand — to bear
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. drill — army training
  22. sharp — clever
  23. drill — the tool
  24. stand — on your feet

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