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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. march — the month
  4. squash — to crush
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. wax — to grow
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. stem — to come from
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. saw — the tool
  16. march — the month
  17. squash — the sport
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. foot — a measure
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. march — music
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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