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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.

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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: wake · stem · rule · wax · bowl · chip · plane · pound

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. wax — to grow
  4. rule — a law
  5. rule — government
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. chip — to eat
  15. wake — a trail
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — for betting
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. pound — a weight

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