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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 120 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: pop · wax · board · mouse · mine · straw · stem · lash

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. pop — soda
  4. wax — to grow
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. board — to get on
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — a committee
  10. pop — to visit
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. pop — music
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stem — of a plant

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