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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: calf · mouse · prune · chest · saw · lie · wax · staff

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. staff — a stick
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. staff — employees
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. chest — of your body
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. chest — of your body
  14. wax — to grow
  15. staff — employees
  16. lie — to recline
  17. saw — the tool
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. saw — the tool
  21. chest — a box
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. calf — a young animal

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