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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.

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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: stem · mine · drill · charge · saw · lean · suit · wax

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. lean — to bend
  5. saw — the tool
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. drill — a practice
  8. wax — to grow
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. charge — electricity
  11. drill — the tool
  12. suit — clothes
  13. stem — to come from
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mine — for digging
  16. lean — thin
  17. suit — to fit
  18. charge — a price
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. drill — army training
  21. suit — in cards
  22. charge — in control
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. wax — in the ear

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