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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 · current · pop · stem · clip · fork · ground · spell

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. spell — a short time
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. ground — crushed
  5. current — of water
  6. pop — soda
  7. wax — to grow
  8. current — happening now
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. spell — magic
  11. fork — in a road
  12. current — electric
  13. spell — letters
  14. ground — a position
  15. pop — to visit
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. clip — for paper
  18. clip — a video
  19. ground — the earth
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. pop — music
  23. clip — to cut
  24. wax — for sculpting

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