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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: prune · craft · face · fall · saw · bear · bulb · wax

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bear — the animal
  4. face — part of the head
  5. fall — the season
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bulb — for light
  9. face — to confront
  10. prune — to trim
  11. craft — boats
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bear — the animal
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. prune — to trim
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. wax — to grow
  20. craft — a skill
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bulb — for light
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. prune — the fruit

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