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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. wax — to grow
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. shower — rain
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. shower — to wash
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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