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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 116 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: wax · board · prune · lean · pop · spell · ground · rock

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  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. lean — to bend
  2. wax — to grow
  3. prune — to trim
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. rock — a stone
  6. ground — crushed
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. spell — a short time
  9. pop — to visit
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. pop — music
  12. rock — music
  13. ground — the earth
  14. spell — letters
  15. board — a committee
  16. ground — a position
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. pop — soda
  20. spell — magic
  21. lean — thin
  22. board — to get on
  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