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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.

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: craft · club · prune · wax · lie · trunk · bear · pop

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. club — a group
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. bear — the animal
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. craft — a skill
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pop — music
  12. craft — boats
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. pop — to visit
  17. lie — to recline
  18. club — for dancing
  19. pop — soda
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. wax — to grow
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. club — for golf
  24. wax — in the ear

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