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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. club — a group
  3. suit — to fit
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. tube — a container
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. club — for golf
  16. suit — clothes
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stem — to come from
  19. club — for dancing
  20. wax — to grow
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. tube — the underground
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. suit — in cards

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