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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 116 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. cold — an illness
  7. bear — the animal
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — an aim
  12. staff — employees
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. staff — a stick
  15. wax — to grow
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. kick — in football
  18. staff — employees
  19. stem — to come from
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. object — to protest
  22. cold — not warm
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rock — a stone

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