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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. ball — a great time
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — to come from
  6. ball — a dance
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. drill — army training
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. suit — clothes
  13. drill — a practice
  14. branch — a division
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — to eat
  17. suit — in cards
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. suit — to fit
  23. drill — the tool
  24. chip — in a computer

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