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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 120 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: stem · bank · arm · face · wax · fall · rush · kick

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. fall — to drop
  3. face — part of the head
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. kick — in football
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — for money
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. stem — to come from
  14. fall — to drop
  15. wax — to grow
  16. face — to point toward
  17. rush — hurry
  18. bank — of a river
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. face — to confront
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. fall — the season
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. kick — a thrill

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