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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
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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 · stem · hide · staff · lash · present · bulb · snap

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. present — a gift
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. snap — to click
  5. present — the time now
  6. staff — a stick
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. wax — to grow
  12. staff — employees
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. stem — to come from
  19. present — there
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. staff — employees
  23. bulb — for light
  24. stem — of a plant

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