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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: club · file · wax · lie · bowl · stand · staff · stem

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. lie — to recline
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stand — to bear
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. wax — to grow
  10. file — a line of people
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. staff — employees
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. club — for dancing
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. file — a document
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. staff — a stick
  19. stem — to come from
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — a group
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. staff — employees
  24. file — a tool

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