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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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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: lash · leaves · wax · present · toast · row · stem · tear

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. toast — bread
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. tear — to rip
  7. row — to paddle
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. tear — from crying
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. present — there
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — a gift
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. row — a line
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. stem — to come from
  22. tear — from crying
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. wax — to grow

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