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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: face · stem · wax · leaves · present · game · net · rash

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. rash — hasty
  3. net — for catching
  4. stem — to come from
  5. net — in sport
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. rash — a series
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — part of the head
  13. present — there
  14. present — the time now
  15. game — wild animals
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. present — a gift
  19. net — after costs
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. game — a match
  23. face — to confront
  24. leaves — lets stay

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