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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 124 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 · chest · club · current · present · deal · leaves · stem

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — there
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. wax — to grow
  8. chest — a box
  9. present — a gift
  10. chest — of your body
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. club — for dancing
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. club — for golf
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. current — of water
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. chest — of your body
  22. current — electric
  23. deal — to handle
  24. current — happening now

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