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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 116 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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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: fork · kick · content · suit · wax · shower · race · stem

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  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. race — humankind
  2. stem — to come from
  3. content — the amount
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. shower — rain
  6. shower — to wash
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. race — the arms race
  9. suit — clothes
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. content — happy
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. wax — to grow
  14. race — a contest
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. fork — in a road
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. suit — to fit
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. suit — in cards
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — in football
  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