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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. staff — employees
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. staff — a stick
  5. key — in music
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. staff — employees
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. stem — to come from
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. branch — a division
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. key — for a lock
  18. capital — money
  19. wax — to grow
  20. capital — a city
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. key — the most important part
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. capital — a big letter

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