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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. cue — a hint
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bank — for money
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bank — for money
  10. present — a gift
  11. stock — shares
  12. wax — to grow
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. bank — of a river
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stock — goods
  19. cue — a signal
  20. rush — hurry
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. cue — for pool
  23. present — there
  24. present — the time now

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