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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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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: bay · bark · pit · fine · kick · stem · land · wax

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. wax — to grow
  6. fine — high quality
  7. pit — in a race
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. land — ground
  11. fine — all right
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. land — to come down
  15. stem — to come from
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. bark — to shout
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. land — a country
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. pit — a hole
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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