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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stem — to come from
  6. shower — rain
  7. shower — to wash
  8. wax — to grow
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. lean — thin
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. sharp — clever
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — to bend

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