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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: object · land · mug · stem · wax · press · cue · mine

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. mug — to rob
  3. object — to protest
  4. object — a thing
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. land — ground
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cue — for pool
  10. mug — a face
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. land — to come down
  13. stem — to come from
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. wax — to grow
  16. object — an aim
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. press — to push
  19. land — a country
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mug — a cup
  22. press — a publisher
  23. mine — for digging
  24. press — newspapers

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