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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. scale — in music
  3. stem — to come from
  4. mate — a partner
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. ball — a great time
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — to breed
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. wax — to grow
  12. scale — size or range
  13. ball — a dance
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. suit — clothes
  18. cell — a phone
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — help
  22. suit — in cards
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. suit — to fit

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