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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 · wake · ground · key · stem · season · wax · suit

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. ground — the earth
  5. key — in music
  6. key — the most important part
  7. season — in sport
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. season — of the year
  10. ground — crushed
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. key — for a lock
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. band — a ring
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wax — to grow
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — to fit
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wake — a trail
  21. ground — a position
  22. suit — in cards
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. band — a music group

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