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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: charge · bass · roll · rush · stem · temple · wax · stand

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. wax — to grow
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. charge — electricity
  5. stand — to bear
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. charge — in control
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the fish
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. charge — a price
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. roll — a cake
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. roll — a list
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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