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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. bear — the animal
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. wax — to grow
  6. capital — money
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. cell — in biology
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — low music
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. content — the amount
  16. bear — the animal
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. capital — a city
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. content — happy
  23. stem — to come from
  24. wax — for sculpting

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