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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. wax — to grow
  3. rest — what's left
  4. sharp — clever
  5. current — electric
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. ground — a position
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. rest — a break
  10. ground — the earth
  11. rest — what's left
  12. cue — for pool
  13. spring — a coil
  14. current — happening now
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. cue — a hint
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. current — of water
  19. ground — crushed
  20. stem — to come from
  21. spring — of water
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. cue — a signal
  24. spring — the season

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