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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. wax — to grow
  4. file — a document
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. stem — to come from
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. file — a tool
  11. file — a line of people
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. capital — a city
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. stand — to bear
  18. capital — money
  19. wake — a trail
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. content — happy
  24. content — the amount

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