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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. tube — a container
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. rule — government
  5. chair — a leader
  6. tube — the underground
  7. saw — the tool
  8. stock — goods
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. wax — to grow
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stock — shares
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rule — a law
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. stem — a stem cell

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