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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. field — farmland
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — to come from
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. field — a subject
  7. suit — to fit
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. wax — to grow
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. suit — in cards
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a great time
  17. field — for sport
  18. suit — clothes
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. chair — a leader

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