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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 116 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: calf · tube · row · wound · wax · squash · stem · dip

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. tube — the underground
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. row — to paddle
  5. squash — the sport
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. row — a line
  8. dip — to sink
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. wound — an injury
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. squash — to crush
  14. stem — to come from
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. wound — an injury
  17. tube — a container
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. wax — to grow

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