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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: lean · wax · trunk · charge · board · degree · bore · prune

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  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. lean — thin
  2. board — to get on
  3. lean — to bend
  4. degree — an amount
  5. prune — to trim
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bore — to tire
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. degree — from a university
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. wax — to grow
  14. board — a committee
  15. charge — electricity
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — a price
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. degree — temperature
  23. prune — to trim
  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