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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
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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: stem · swing · land · capital · hide · wax · rock · saw

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. capital — a city
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. swing — music
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. land — a country
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. saw — the tool
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. rock — a stone
  15. stem — to come from
  16. capital — money
  17. saw — the tool
  18. swing — to play on
  19. land — to come down
  20. rock — music
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. land — ground
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. capital — a big letter

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