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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. lean — to bend
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. net — for catching
  7. rule — government
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. stem — to come from
  10. key — in music
  11. tube — a container
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rule — a law
  14. tube — the underground
  15. net — in sport
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. net — after costs
  18. key — for a lock
  19. wax — to grow
  20. key — the most important part
  21. lean — thin
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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