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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 · stem · present · face · bear · safe · mark · wax

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wax — to grow
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. present — a gift
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. face — to point toward
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. present — there
  11. stem — to come from
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. face — to confront
  15. present — the time now
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. mark — a trace
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. face — part of the head
  21. prune — to trim
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. bear — the 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