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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. stem — to come from
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. cue — for pool
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. ground — a position
  9. ground — the earth
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. wax — to grow
  15. prune — to trim
  16. cue — a signal
  17. prune — to trim
  18. ground — crushed

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