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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 120 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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — letters
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. kick — in football
  7. tube — the underground
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. face — part of the head
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. wax — to grow
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. tube — a container
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. stem — to come from
  16. face — to point toward
  17. rush — hurry
  18. face — to confront
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. spell — magic

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