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

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. key — in music
  4. bass — the fish
  5. game — a match
  6. game — wild animals
  7. bass — low music
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. wax — to grow
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. staff — employees
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. staff — employees
  14. spring — the season
  15. key — for a lock
  16. spring — a coil
  17. stem — to come from
  18. spring — of water
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. key — the most important part
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. staff — a stick

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