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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. lean — thin
  3. wound — an injury
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. lean — to bend
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. stem — to come from
  14. branch — a division
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. wound — an injury
  18. rush — hurry
  19. land — to come down
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. land — a country
  22. land — ground
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wax — for sculpting

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