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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 116 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stem — to come from
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. capital — money
  7. saw — the tool
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. chair — a leader
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bulb — for light
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. perch — the fish
  19. bank — of a river
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. bank — for money
  22. capital — a city
  23. bank — for money
  24. wax — in the ear

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