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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. hand — help
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. face — to point toward
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. cap — a hat
  14. stem — to come from
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a lid
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. face — to confront
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. face — part of the head
  24. branch — a division

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