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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — music
  4. pop — to visit
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wax — to grow
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. chip — to eat
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. rush — hurry
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. stem — to come from
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. chip — for betting
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. stem — of a plant

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