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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: fan · mate · scale · club · wax · wake · root · stem

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. club — a group
  6. scale — size or range
  7. root — the cause
  8. scale — in music
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. root — of a plant
  11. root — of a word
  12. stem — to come from
  13. club — for dancing
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. mate — a friend
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a partner
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. stem — a stem cell

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