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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: track · stem · rock · band · cue · tear · clip · wax

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. cue — a hint
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. wax — to grow
  7. tear — to rip
  8. band — a music group
  9. track — a song
  10. stem — to come from
  11. clip — to cut
  12. tear — from crying
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. clip — for paper
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. cue — a signal
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. track — to keep track
  19. clip — a video
  20. tear — from crying
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. track — a path
  23. cue — for pool
  24. rock — music

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