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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: bore · straw · ground · stem · net · mark · board · wax

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. net — for catching
  3. bore — to tire
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. mark — a grade
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. net — in sport
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. ground — a position
  12. net — after costs
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. board — to get on
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. board — a committee
  18. ground — crushed
  19. bore — to drill
  20. wax — to grow
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. stem — to come from
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. straw — a straw man

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