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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: staff · ground · bear · lean · stem · wax · object · hide

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. wax — to grow
  3. lean — to bend
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. ground — the earth
  6. object — an aim
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. staff — employees
  11. object — to protest
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. ground — a position
  14. bear — the animal
  15. staff — employees
  16. bear — the animal
  17. staff — a stick
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — to come from
  21. lean — thin
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. object — a thing

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