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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. vault — a safe
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. squash — to crush
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. firm — a company
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. firm — steady
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bear — the animal
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. squash — the sport
  18. firm — decided
  19. stem — to come from
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. kick — in football
  22. bear — the animal
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. arm — part of the body

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