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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: wax · track · nail · mine · ground · wave · rash · stem

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. ground — the earth
  3. wax — to grow
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. track — a song
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. rash — hasty
  11. ground — a position
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. ground — crushed
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. track — to keep track
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. mine — for digging
  19. track — a path
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rash — a series
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stem — to come from

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