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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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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 · tube · plane · club · wax · stick · lash · bear

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. plane — a tool
  3. bear — the animal
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. club — for dancing
  9. tube — a container
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. prune — to trim
  12. wax — to grow
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bear — the animal
  16. club — for golf
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. prune — to trim
  20. club — a group
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. bear — to put up with

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