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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cold · stem · can · perch · trunk · content · wax · mug

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. content — the amount
  6. cold — an illness
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. mug — a face
  9. can — a tin
  10. cold — not warm
  11. can — to be able to
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. can — a tin
  16. content — happy
  17. mug — a cup
  18. perch — the fish
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. mug — to rob
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. wax — to grow
  23. stem — to come from
  24. cold — the Cold War

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