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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. land — ground
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. land — a country
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. wax — to grow
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stand — to bear
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. fork — in a road
  16. stem — to come from
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. land — to come down
  24. temple — a place of worship

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