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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. stem — to come from
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. roll — a cake
  9. press — to push
  10. craft — boats
  11. chair — a leader
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. kid — to tease
  14. roll — a list
  15. press — newspapers
  16. craft — a skill
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. press — a publisher
  22. wound — an injury
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. wax — to grow

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