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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wax — to grow
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. pitch — completely
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. stem — to come from
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. pit — in a race
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pit — a hole
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. mouse — the animal

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