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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: squash · wax · lie · coach · stem · date · wake · chip

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. lie — to recline
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. stem — to come from
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. chip — for betting
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. chip — to eat
  17. squash — the sport
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wax — to grow
  20. date — the fruit
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. squash — to crush
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. squash — the vegetable

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