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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: bay · bulb · perch · pitcher · trunk · wax · prune · nail

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bulb — for light
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. prune — to trim
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. perch — the fish

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