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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: prune · wax · cue · bass · stem · race · mouse · pop

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. wax — to grow
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. pop — to visit
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. race — a contest
  7. cue — a signal
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — soda
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. race — humankind
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. stem — to come from
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bass — the fish
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bass — low music
  18. prune — to trim
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — for pool
  24. stem — a stem cell

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