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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. stem — to come from
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. board — to get on
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bank — of a river
  9. present — there
  10. present — the time now
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bank — for money
  14. staff — employees
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bank — for money
  17. mark — a trace
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. staff — a stick
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. staff — employees
  22. board — a committee
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. arm — a part of something

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