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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
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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: tear · prune · shower · trunk · bulb · wax · stem · face

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. tear — to rip
  3. stem — to come from
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. tear — from crying
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. tear — from crying
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. wax — to grow
  16. prune — to trim
  17. face — part of the head
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. shower — to wash
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. bulb — for light
  22. shower — rain
  23. prune — to trim
  24. face — to confront

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