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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: band · stem · wax · hide · rush · safe · leaves · spell

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. stem — to come from
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. spell — magic
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. spell — a short time
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wax — to grow
  11. band — a ring
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rush — hurry
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. band — a music group
  24. spell — letters

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