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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: pound · shower · chair · wax · stem · swing · pop · rest

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. shower — rain
  4. wax — to grow
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. pound — a weight
  8. rest — what's left
  9. stem — to come from
  10. pop — to visit
  11. swing — in golf
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. pop — soda
  15. swing — music
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. pop — music
  20. swing — to play on
  21. rest — what's left
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. chair — a leader

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