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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 · hand · calf · row · stem · spring · charge · leaves

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. spring — a coil
  7. row — a line
  8. charge — a price
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. charge — in control
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. spring — of water
  16. stem — to come from
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. wax — to grow
  20. hand — in cards
  21. spring — the season
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. charge — electricity
  24. calf — a young animal

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