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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: last · wax · mouse · prune · lie · bear · saw · hand

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. last — finally
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. prune — to trim
  6. last — to go on
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wax — to grow
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bear — the animal
  11. hand — help
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. lie — to recline
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bear — the animal
  19. last — final
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. hand — in cards
  24. mouse — for a computer

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