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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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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. plane — a tool
  4. stem — to come from
  5. tube — a container
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. chair — a leader
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. suit — in cards
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. suit — to fit
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — to eat
  19. tube — the underground
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. suit — clothes
  23. chip — for betting
  24. stem — a stem cell

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