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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: stick · foot · field · cue · wax · rock · stem · hide

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  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. hide — animal skin
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stem — to come from
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. cue — a signal
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. rock — music
  9. field — for sport
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. cue — a hint
  12. rock — a stone
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. foot — a measure
  15. cue — for pool
  16. field — a subject
  17. wax — to grow
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. field — farmland
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wax — in the ear
  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