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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: pitcher · wax · wave · ruler · chair · present · stem · foot

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — a gift
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. foot — a measure
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. chair — a leader
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. stem — to come from
  20. present — there
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. stem — of a plant
  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