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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: row · stem · calf · wax · kick · pop · race · spell

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. spell — magic
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — to grow
  6. race — a contest
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. pop — to visit
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. spell — letters
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. row — a line
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pop — music
  19. race — the arms race
  20. kick — in football
  21. spell — a short time
  22. pop — soda
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. race — humankind

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