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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. roll — a list
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wax — to grow
  8. drill — army training
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. foot — a measure
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. drill — a practice
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. roll — a cake
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — the fish
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. drill — the tool

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