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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: wax · degree · charge · nail · field · stem · straw · race

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. race — humankind
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. field — for sport
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. wax — to grow
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. degree — temperature
  9. charge — a price
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. degree — an amount
  15. field — a subject
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. race — the arms race
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. degree — from a university
  20. race — a contest
  21. charge — electricity
  22. stem — to come from
  23. field — farmland
  24. straw — a straw man

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