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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. fall — to drop
  4. deal — to handle
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. shower — to wash
  13. face — to point toward
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. wax — to grow
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. fall — to drop
  18. face — part of the head
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. face — to confront
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. fall — the season
  23. stem — to come from
  24. shower — rain

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