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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: stick · kid · dip · wax · content · hide · stem · sharp

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. kid — child
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. dip — to sink
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wax — to grow
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. content — the amount
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. sharp — clever
  20. content — happy
  21. kid — to tease
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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