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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: stick · lash · date · drill · dip · wax · shower · stem

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — a practice
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. date — the fruit
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. shower — to wash
  10. dip — to sink
  11. stem — to come from
  12. drill — the tool
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. shower — rain
  16. wax — to grow
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. dip — to dunk

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