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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at 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. can — to be able to
  2. wax — to grow
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. field — farmland
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. craft — a skill
  11. rash — a series
  12. can — a tin
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. fine — high quality
  16. rash — hasty
  17. field — for sport
  18. can — a tin
  19. craft — boats
  20. fine — all right
  21. field — a subject
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — of a plant
  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