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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: squash · stick · face · bore · dip · stem · wax · bank

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. bank — for money
  6. squash — the sport
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bore — to tire
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bank — of a river
  15. face — to confront
  16. bank — for money
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. squash — to crush
  19. dip — to sink
  20. face — part of the head
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. face — to point toward
  23. squash — the vegetable
  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