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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. wax — to grow
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cap — a lid
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. stem — to come from
  9. bank — for money
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. bank — for money
  13. race — humankind
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. cap — of ice
  16. mine — for digging
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. race — a contest
  19. race — the arms race
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. bank — of a river
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. stem — of a plant

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