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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
468
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: leaves · rock · wax · stem · patient · ground · cue · prune

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. rock — a stone
  6. cue — a signal
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — to trim
  11. wax — to grow
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. cue — for pool
  17. ground — the earth
  18. ground — crushed
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. stem — to come from
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. ground — a position
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. rock — music

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