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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: prune · wave · root · face · trunk · court · bore · wax

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  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. root — the cause
  2. face — part of the head
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. court — of a king
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. root — of a plant
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. face — to point toward
  9. bore — to tire
  10. prune — to trim
  11. face — to confront
  12. root — of a word
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wax — to grow
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. court — of law
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bore — to drill
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. court — for sport
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. prune — to trim
  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