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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — of the year
  5. squash — the sport
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. hand — in cards
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — to shout
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — help
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. stem — to come from
  22. squash — to crush
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. wax — to grow

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