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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: kick · pop · bark · temple · wax · nail · plane · prune

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  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. pop — soda
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. pop — to visit
  8. kick — in football
  9. plane — a tool
  10. wax — to grow
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pop — music
  17. bark — to shout
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. wax — for sculpting
  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