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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: chip · foot · bulb · temple · wound · prune · pound · wax

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wound — an injury
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. prune — to trim
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. chip — to eat
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — to grow
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. bulb — for light
  20. wound — an injury
  21. foot — a measure
  22. chip — for betting
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. temple — side of the head

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