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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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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: rule · prune · drill · wax · lean · mate · trunk · pit

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. pit — in a race
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. drill — army training
  7. mate — a friend
  8. prune — to trim
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. rule — government
  11. rule — a law
  12. pit — a hole
  13. lean — to bend
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. lean — thin
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. mate — to breed
  18. drill — a practice
  19. drill — the tool
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. mate — a partner
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. wax — to grow

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