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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 · degree · chest · rush · wax · pit · field · bay

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. chest — a box
  5. wax — to grow
  6. degree — temperature
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. chest — of your body
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. field — for sport
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. field — farmland
  13. stem — to come from
  14. field — a subject
  15. pit — in a race
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. chest — of your body
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. degree — from a university
  20. rush — hurry
  21. degree — an amount
  22. pit — a hole
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. rush — 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