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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. deal — to handle
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. stem — to come from
  13. net — after costs
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. net — in sport
  17. net — for catching
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — a tool
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. wax — to grow
  24. rest — a break

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