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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. key — for a lock
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. tube — the underground
  8. stem — to come from
  9. chest — of your body
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. chest — a box
  14. key — in music
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. tube — a container
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. key — the most important part
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the sport
  24. chest — of your body

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