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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: trunk · wax · face · mate · ball · suit · pop · stem

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. pop — music
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. wax — to grow
  6. face — part of the head
  7. ball — a great time
  8. stem — to come from
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. suit — in cards
  13. pop — soda
  14. mate — to breed
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — to confront
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. pop — to visit
  19. suit — to fit
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. ball — a dance
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — a friend
  24. wax — for sculpting

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