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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 · rash · can · wax · pound · bay · deal · pop

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  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. wax — to grow
  2. can — a tin
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pop — to visit
  12. can — a tin
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. rash — a series
  16. pop — music
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. pop — soda
  19. stem — to come from
  20. pound — a weight
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. can — to be able to
  23. deal — to handle
  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