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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 120 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: wax · ground · prune · straw · lie · can · mark · game

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. ground — the earth
  3. can — a tin
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. lie — to recline
  7. mark — a grade
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. ground — crushed
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mark — a trace
  16. game — wild animals
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. game — a match
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. ground — a position
  23. wax — to grow
  24. lie — an untruth

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