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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: bank · cap · band · pound · bay · rest · wax · stem

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — to grow
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bank — of a river
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. cap — of ice
  9. pound — a weight
  10. rest — a break
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bank — for money
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. band — a music group
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. rest — what's left
  20. cap — a hat
  21. bank — for money
  22. rest — what's left
  23. cap — a lid
  24. pound — for dogs

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