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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 · fan · wax · shower · coach · tube · charge · rock

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. stem — to come from
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. charge — a price
  7. shower — to wash
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. tube — a container
  11. rock — music
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. charge — in control
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. wax — to grow
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. tube — the underground
  19. rock — a stone
  20. shower — rain
  21. charge — electricity
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. stem — a stem cell

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