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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 116 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: band · prune · stem · mug · lash · wax · race · leaves

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. stem — to come from
  4. mug — to rob
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. race — humankind
  10. band — a ring
  11. race — a contest
  12. mug — a face
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. race — the arms race
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. mug — a cup
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. band — a music group
  22. wax — to grow
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. wax — for sculpting

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