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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. pop — music
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. board — a committee
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. scale — in music
  7. mate — a friend
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. pop — to visit
  10. board — to get on
  11. pop — soda
  12. tube — the underground
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — a tool
  18. stem — to come from
  19. scale — size or range
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. wax — to grow
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — to breed
  24. tube — a container

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