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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. firm — decided
  5. firm — a company
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. tear — from crying
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. firm — steady
  15. tear — from crying
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. tear — to rip
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. wax — to grow
  21. deal — to handle
  22. chest — of your body
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stem — to come from

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