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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: stem · staff · bass · fork · saw · track · wax · mouse

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — to grow
  5. track — a path
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — the fish
  8. staff — a stick
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. fork — in a road
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. track — a song
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. bass — low music
  16. saw — the tool
  17. staff — employees
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. staff — employees
  20. saw — the tool
  21. stem — to come from
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. stem — of a plant

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