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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: cell · season · wave · rule · stick · wax · stem · fan

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stem — to come from
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. cell — in biology
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — in sport
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — to grow
  19. rule — a law
  20. cell — a phone
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. rule — government
  24. season — to add flavour

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