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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ground · wax · fine · stem · kick · object · can · wind

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. wax — to grow
  3. fine — high quality
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. stem — to come from
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. kick — in football
  8. ground — the earth
  9. object — to protest
  10. ground — a position
  11. can — a tin
  12. object — a thing
  13. wind — moving air
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. can — a tin
  17. wind — moving air
  18. object — an aim
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. ground — crushed
  21. can — to be able to
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wax — for sculpting

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