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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. pop — music
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. suit — in cards
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — help
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. drill — the tool
  13. pop — to visit
  14. suit — clothes
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. wax — to grow
  17. pop — soda
  18. hand — in cards
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. drill — a practice
  21. drill — army training
  22. chair — a leader
  23. stem — to come from
  24. wax — in the ear

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