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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 · wax · cabinet · game · temple · band · lean

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — to trim
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. band — a music group
  5. game — wild animals
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. game — a match
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. band — a ring
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. wax — to grow
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to bend

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