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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. pit — in a race
  5. deal — to handle
  6. pit — a hole
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. cell — in biology
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. rest — a break
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. cell — a phone
  15. tube — a container
  16. wax — to grow
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. tube — the underground
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. stem — a stem cell

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