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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: pound · wax · stem · swing · bank · rest · kid · track

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. wax — to grow
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. rest — what's left
  6. track — a song
  7. kid — to tease
  8. pound — a weight
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bank — for money
  11. swing — in golf
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. swing — to play on
  15. track — a path
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bank — of a river
  20. swing — music
  21. bank — for money
  22. kid — child
  23. rest — a break
  24. rest — what's left

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