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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: present · tube · wax · prune · can · spring · rule · charge

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. wax — to grow
  3. tube — the underground
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. prune — to trim
  6. rule — government
  7. charge — a price
  8. tube — a container
  9. spring — the season
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. can — a tin
  14. spring — of water
  15. present — a gift
  16. rule — a law
  17. prune — to trim
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. can — a tin
  20. charge — in control
  21. present — there
  22. charge — electricity
  23. present — the time now
  24. spring — a coil

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