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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: wax · dip · tear · saw · stem · safe · cap · pitcher

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. stem — to come from
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — from crying
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. tear — to rip
  9. cap — of ice
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. cap — a lid
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. cap — a hat
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. dip — to dunk

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