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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: clip · date · wax · root · cabinet · wave · stem · bowl

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  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. bowl — a dish
  2. root — the cause
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. clip — for paper
  5. clip — to cut
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. stem — to come from
  10. clip — a video
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. root — of a plant
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. root — of a word
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. date — the fruit
  23. date — on the calendar
  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