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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: field · wax · lean · rest · wave · stem · present · land

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. present — there
  4. rest — what's left
  5. lean — thin
  6. present — the time now
  7. field — a subject
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wax — to grow
  12. lean — to bend
  13. field — for sport
  14. stem — to come from
  15. field — farmland
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. land — a country
  18. land — ground
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. rest — what's left
  21. land — to come down
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. present — a gift
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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