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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wax — to grow
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. stem — to come from
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — to fit
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wake — a trail
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. suit — in cards
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wound — an injury
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. mine — for digging
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. wax — in the ear

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