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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: wax · nail · stem · present · chest · charge · bound · squash

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. charge — electricity
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. present — there
  7. wax — to grow
  8. present — a gift
  9. bound — certain
  10. chest — of your body
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bound — tied together
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bound — obliged
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. charge — a price
  17. stem — to come from
  18. chest — a box
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. squash — the sport
  21. charge — in control
  22. present — the time now
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. squash — to crush

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