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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. season — in sport
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. bulb — for light
  12. tear — to rip
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bulb — for light
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — from crying
  17. season — of the year
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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