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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · wax · patient · pop · object · game · nail · staff

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. pop — to visit
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. pop — soda
  5. game — a match
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stem — to come from
  8. staff — employees
  9. object — a thing
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. staff — a stick
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. wax — to grow
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. game — wild animals
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. pop — music
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. staff — employees
  24. object — to protest

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