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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. stem — to come from
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. dip — to sink
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. capital — money
  10. fork — in a road
  11. capital — a city
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. wax — to grow
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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