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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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. net — in sport
  4. bear — the animal
  5. capital — a city
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. ground — a position
  8. wax — to grow
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — after costs
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. capital — money
  13. tube — the underground
  14. stem — to come from
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. ground — the earth
  19. ground — crushed
  20. bear — the animal
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. tube — a container
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. tube — in a tire

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