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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: rash · wax · prune · can · leaves · trunk · last · sharp

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. can — a tin
  4. last — to go on
  5. can — a tin
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. can — to be able to
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. rash — a series
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. rash — hasty
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. wax — to grow
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. last — finally
  19. sharp — clever
  20. prune — to trim
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. last — final

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