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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. cue — a hint
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wax — to grow
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. stem — to come from
  15. cue — a signal
  16. bat — the animal
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. wave — of the sea

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