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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
468
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: craft · present · land · stem · drill · bear · wax · wake

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. drill — the tool
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. craft — a skill
  6. wax — to grow
  7. present — there
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. drill — army training
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. present — the time now
  15. bear — the animal
  16. land — to come down
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. land — a country
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. bear — the animal
  21. present — a gift
  22. craft — boats
  23. drill — a practice
  24. land — ground

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