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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  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. rest — what's left
  2. spring — a coil
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. spring — of water
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bore — to tire
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. toast — bread
  9. plane — a tool
  10. rest — a break
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. stem — to come from
  14. fork — in a road
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. rest — what's left
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. wax — to grow
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. bore — to drill
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. spring — the season
  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