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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 124 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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. row — to paddle
  8. wax — to grow
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. mark — a trace
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. mug — a cup
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mug — a face
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. capital — a city
  23. row — a line
  24. mouse — for a computer

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