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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. stem — to come from
  4. wax — to grow
  5. vault — a safe
  6. sharp — clever
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. perch — the fish
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. object — a thing
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. object — an aim
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. object — to protest
  24. wax — in the ear

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