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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 120 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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. stem — to come from
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. swing — to play on
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wax — to grow
  8. plane — a tool
  9. prune — to trim
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. board — a committee
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. rule — government
  16. swing — in golf
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. saw — the tool
  19. swing — music
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. board — to get on

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