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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. can — a tin
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. board — a committee
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. can — a tin
  9. wax — to grow
  10. tube — a container
  11. game — wild animals
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. tube — the underground
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stem — to come from
  20. can — to be able to
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. game — a match
  24. board — to get on

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