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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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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: rush · cabinet · trunk · wax · bear · cue · fine · prune

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bear — the animal
  4. wax — to grow
  5. cue — a hint
  6. bear — the animal
  7. cue — a signal
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. rush — hurry
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. cue — for pool
  15. prune — to trim
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. fine — all right
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. trunk — of a tree

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