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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: club · wax · fork · dip · stem · cap · craft · field

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. cap — of ice
  6. field — farmland
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — boats
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cap — a hat
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. club — for dancing
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. stem — to come from
  17. craft — a skill
  18. field — a subject
  19. club — for golf
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. club — a group
  22. field — for sport
  23. fork — in a road
  24. dip — to sink

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