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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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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: wax · mate · suit · prune · wave · cue · march · stem

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. wax — to grow
  3. prune — to trim
  4. suit — to fit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. suit — in cards
  8. mate — a friend
  9. march — the month
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stem — to come from
  13. mate — a partner
  14. cue — a hint
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cue — a signal
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. march — the month
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. mate — to breed
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. suit — clothes

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