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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. craft — boats
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. craft — a skill
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — to drill
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. branch — a division
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — for digging
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. stem — to come from
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. wax — to grow

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