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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: prune · track · foot · bulb · wax · cap · present · rush

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. cap — a lid
  3. track — a path
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. rush — hurry
  6. prune — to trim
  7. cap — a hat
  8. present — a gift
  9. foot — a measure
  10. present — the time now
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. track — to keep track
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. track — a song
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bulb — for light
  20. cap — of ice
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. bulb — for light
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. present — there

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