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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: snap · bulb · last · stem · scale · wax · pit · wake

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. stem — to come from
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wax — to grow
  9. scale — in music
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. scale — size or range
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. pit — in a race
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. last — finally
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. bulb — for light
  19. last — to go on
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. pit — a hole
  22. snap — to click
  23. last — final
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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