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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 · pop · file · band · cue · stem · stand · bear

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. cue — a signal
  3. file — a document
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. pop — to visit
  8. cue — a hint
  9. file — a line of people
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. band — a ring
  17. pop — music
  18. wax — to grow
  19. pop — soda
  20. stand — to bear
  21. cue — for pool
  22. band — a music group
  23. file — a tool
  24. wax — in the ear

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