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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: firm · wake · chest · wax · hide · stem · deal · bulb

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. chest — of your body
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. firm — decided
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. stem — to come from
  9. firm — steady
  10. chest — of your body
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. wax — to grow
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bulb — for light
  19. deal — to handle
  20. firm — a company
  21. chest — a box
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wake — a trail

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