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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. stem — to come from
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. scale — size or range
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. club — for dancing
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for golf
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. wax — to grow
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. saw — the tool
  23. scale — in music
  24. calf — of the leg

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