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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: mark · bark · spell · lie · charge · stem · roll · wax

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. roll — a cake
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. lie — to recline
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. charge — electricity
  8. stem — to come from
  9. roll — a list
  10. charge — in control
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. wax — to grow
  14. bark — to shout
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — magic
  18. mark — a grade
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. spell — a short time
  22. charge — a price
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. mark — a trace

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