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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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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: temple · arm · bulb · prune · band · stem · wax · court

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. wax — to grow
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. prune — to trim
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — for sport
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. band — a music group
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. band — a ring
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bulb — for light
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bulb — for light
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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