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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
468
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: wax · shower · clip · stem · bear · safe · nail · wave

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. stem — to come from
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. clip — for paper
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. bear — the animal
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. shower — to wash
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. clip — to cut
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. bear — the animal
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. clip — a video
  24. shower — rain

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