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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. present — the time now
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. present — there
  9. court — of a king
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bass — the fish
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. wax — to grow
  14. prune — to trim
  15. stem — to come from
  16. prune — to trim
  17. court — for sport
  18. bass — low music
  19. rule — government
  20. court — of law
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. rule — a law
  24. wax — for sculpting

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