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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: cue · prune · jam · stem · wax · file · straw · lean

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. cue — a hint
  4. file — a tool
  5. wax — to grow
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. cue — for pool
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. prune — to trim
  15. lean — to bend
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. stem — to come from
  18. file — a document
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. cue — a signal
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. file — a line of people
  23. lean — thin
  24. prune — to trim

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