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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: stem · club · current · toast · wax · land · safe · chest

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. land — ground
  3. chest — of your body
  4. club — for golf
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. club — a group
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. club — for dancing
  9. current — of water
  10. stem — to come from
  11. chest — a box
  12. current — happening now
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. current — electric
  15. land — to come down
  16. toast — bread
  17. land — a country
  18. wax — to grow
  19. chest — of your body
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. safe — a strongbox

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