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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. drill — army training
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. mug — a cup
  8. field — farmland
  9. field — for sport
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. mug — a face
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — to get on
  14. mug — to rob
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. board — a committee
  18. stem — to come from
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — to grow
  21. field — a subject
  22. drill — a practice
  23. drill — the tool
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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