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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stick · lie · stem · can · wax · capital · land · dip

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. wax — to grow
  4. can — to be able to
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. land — to come down
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. land — ground
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. dip — to sink
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. stem — to come from
  16. capital — money
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. lie — to recline
  19. land — a country
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. capital — a city
  22. can — a tin
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — in the ear

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