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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: suit · clip · bank · tube · stem · date · chair · wax

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. suit — clothes
  4. date — the fruit
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. clip — for paper
  7. suit — in cards
  8. wax — to grow
  9. bank — of a river
  10. tube — the underground
  11. suit — to fit
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. tube — a container
  14. chair — a leader
  15. bank — for money
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. bank — for money
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. clip — a video
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. stem — to come from
  24. wax — for sculpting

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