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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 120 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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. cap — a lid
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wax — to grow
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cap — of ice
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. field — for sport
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. cap — a hat
  19. plane — a tool
  20. field — a subject
  21. stem — to come from
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. field — farmland
  24. safe — out of danger

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