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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 116 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: bank · ground · wax · wave · stem · spell · pop · mouse

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. ground — crushed
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. pop — soda
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wax — to grow
  8. spell — a short time
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. stem — to come from
  14. spell — letters
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bank — for money
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. ground — the earth
  19. bank — for money
  20. pop — to visit
  21. bank — of a river
  22. ground — a position
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. pop — music

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