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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. wax — to grow
  4. cell — in biology
  5. cell — a phone
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. craft — a skill
  13. stand — to bear
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — to come from
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. craft — boats
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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