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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: wave · jam · craft · degree · stem · content · wax · lie

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. craft — boats
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. content — happy
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wax — to grow
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — to recline
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. degree — an amount
  15. degree — temperature
  16. craft — a skill
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. degree — from a university
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. content — the amount
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. wax — in the ear

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