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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.

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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: lie · cue · stem · rock · patient · wax · cabinet · kid

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — to grow
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. rock — music
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. rock — a stone
  10. cue — a signal
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. cue — for pool
  16. kid — child
  17. kid — to tease
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. stem — to come from
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cue — a hint
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. lie — to recline

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