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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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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: cue · prune · staff · firm · wound · trunk · lean · wax

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. firm — decided
  3. lean — thin
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wax — to grow
  7. firm — steady
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. prune — to trim
  13. firm — a company
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. cue — a signal
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — employees
  18. cue — for pool
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. prune — to trim
  22. lean — to bend
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. cue — a hint

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