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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 120 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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  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. cue — a hint
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. club — a group
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. stem — to come from
  8. cue — for pool
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. cue — a signal
  14. plane — a tool
  15. club — for dancing
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. club — for golf
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. wax — to grow
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bowl — a dish
  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