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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 116 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: mate · swing · wake · fine · stem · wax · land · club

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  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. stem — of a plant
  2. land — to come down
  3. swing — to play on
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. mate — to breed
  6. fine — high quality
  7. stem — to come from
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wake — a trail
  10. swing — music
  11. land — ground
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. fine — all right
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. club — for dancing
  16. club — for golf
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. mate — a partner
  19. land — a country
  20. mate — a friend
  21. swing — in golf
  22. wax — to grow
  23. club — a group
  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