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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
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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: clip · firm · stem · field · wax · leaves · foot · rule

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stem — to come from
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — to grow
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. rule — government
  10. firm — decided
  11. field — farmland
  12. clip — to cut
  13. clip — a video
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. firm — a company
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rule — a law
  18. foot — a measure
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. field — a subject
  21. field — for sport
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. firm — steady

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