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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.

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: mate · firm · stem · mark · fall · lash · game · wax

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  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. mate — a friend
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. game — a match
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — to grow
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. fall — the season
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. firm — a company
  13. fall — to drop
  14. game — wild animals
  15. mate — to breed
  16. fall — to drop
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. firm — decided
  21. firm — steady
  22. mark — a trace
  23. stem — to come from
  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