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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: stem · wax · saw · capital · prune · can · fork · object

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. object — to protest
  6. saw — the tool
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. object — an aim
  9. stem — to come from
  10. can — a tin
  11. capital — a city
  12. prune — to trim
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — to grow
  15. saw — the tool
  16. can — a tin
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. fork — in a road
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. can — to be able to
  21. object — a thing
  22. prune — to trim
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fork — a garden tool

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