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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. mark — a trace
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. object — a thing
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. sharp — clever
  11. wax — to grow
  12. object — to protest
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. cell — in biology
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. vault — a safe
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. object — an aim
  21. mark — a grade
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. stem — to come from
  24. cell — a phone

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