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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.

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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: pound · wax · bay · stem · rash · dip · band · staff

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. band — a ring
  3. stem — to come from
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. rash — hasty
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. staff — employees
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. pound — a weight
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. staff — employees
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. staff — a stick
  19. dip — to sink
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. wax — to grow
  23. rash — a series
  24. band — a music group

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