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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: cap · stem · toast · perch · wax · squash · present · coach

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. squash — the sport
  3. stem — to come from
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a lid
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. present — a gift
  9. perch — the fish
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. present — the time now
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. cap — a hat
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. present — there
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. toast — bread
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. squash — to crush

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