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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. squash — the sport
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. stem — to come from
  15. chip — to eat
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. chair — a leader
  20. chip — for betting
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. chair — to sit on

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