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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. stem — to come from
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. cue — a signal
  12. band — a music group
  13. bass — low music
  14. band — a ring
  15. rock — music
  16. wax — to grow
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bass — the fish
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. cue — a hint

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