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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: suit · cue · spring · wave · lean · wax · toast · stem

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — thin
  3. spring — the season
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. cue — for pool
  6. toast — bread
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. suit — to fit
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. cue — a hint
  14. lean — to bend
  15. spring — of water
  16. cue — a signal
  17. wax — to grow
  18. spring — a coil
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. suit — in cards
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. stem — to come from
  23. suit — clothes
  24. stem — a stem cell

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