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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: wax · rule · cabinet · fan · bear · rock · wake · stem

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wax — to grow
  10. bear — the animal
  11. rule — government
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rule — a law
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. rock — music
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. rock — a stone
  24. bear — the animal

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