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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: stem · fall · pit · wax · rash · track · fine · current

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. current — happening now
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. track — a song
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. rash — hasty
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fine — all right
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pit — in a race
  15. track — to keep track
  16. fine — high quality
  17. rash — a series
  18. current — of water
  19. current — electric
  20. track — a path
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. fall — the season
  23. fall — to drop
  24. rash — on the skin

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