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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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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: stem · wax · bowl · jam · perch · rush · nail · field

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. field — a subject
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. field — for sport
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. perch — the fish
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. stem — to come from
  24. field — farmland

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