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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 116 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: saw · ruler · lash · prune · stem · wax · bay · game

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. game — wild animals
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. wax — to grow
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. prune — to trim
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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