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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: game · lie · stem · mouse · can · wave · rock · wax

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. can — a tin
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. can — to be able to
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. stem — to come from
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. lie — to recline
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. rock — music
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. rock — a stone
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. can — a tin
  23. wax — to grow
  24. mouse — the animal

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