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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: court · pass · nail · wax · spring · fall · stem · ruler

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. wax — to grow
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. court — of law
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. fall — to drop
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. fall — to drop
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. pass — a permit
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. spring — a coil
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. fall — the season
  17. spring — of water
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. stem — to come from
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. court — for sport
  22. spring — the season
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. court — of a king

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