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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. wax — to grow
  3. last — finally
  4. saw — the tool
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. stem — to come from
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. saw — the tool
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. mark — a trace
  16. craft — boats
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — all right
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. last — to go on
  23. craft — a skill
  24. last — final

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