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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: stem · toast · land · object · bay · arm · racket · wax

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. object — to protest
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. object — a thing
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. land — ground
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. toast — bread
  19. stem — to come from
  20. wax — to grow
  21. land — to come down
  22. object — an aim
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. land — a country

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