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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 116 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: pitcher · bank · face · prune · band · lie · cap · wax

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  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. bank — for money
  3. wax — to grow
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. cap — a hat
  6. face — to point toward
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. band — a ring
  10. cap — of ice
  11. lie — to recline
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. face — to confront
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. face — part of the head
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bank — for money
  19. prune — to trim
  20. cap — a lid
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bank — of a river
  23. band — a music group
  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