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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. fork — in a road
  3. spell — letters
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. stem — to come from
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — the season
  9. wound — an injury
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — a short time
  12. ground — crushed
  13. wound — an injury
  14. ground — the earth
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. ground — a position
  21. wax — to grow
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. fall — to drop
  24. pound — a weight

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