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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cue · bear · rule · wake · press · ground · prune · wax

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. press — newspapers
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. ground — a position
  9. rule — government
  10. press — to push
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. cue — a signal
  14. rule — a law
  15. prune — to trim
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bear — the animal
  19. wake — a trail
  20. ground — crushed
  21. press — a publisher
  22. cue — for pool
  23. ground — the earth
  24. wax — to grow

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