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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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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: race · bank · wax · fork · file · stem · dip · mug

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. mug — to rob
  3. file — a line of people
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. bank — for money
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. file — a tool
  8. race — a contest
  9. file — a document
  10. bank — for money
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. race — humankind
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. race — the arms race
  18. mug — a face
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fork — in a road
  21. stem — to come from
  22. mug — a cup
  23. bank — of a river
  24. wax — to grow

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