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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. stem — to come from
  3. race — the arms race
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. rock — music
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wax — to grow
  12. rock — a stone
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. race — a contest
  16. race — humankind
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. nail — for a hammer

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