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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  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. shower — to wash
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. tube — a container
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. foot — a measure
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. rock — a stone
  12. tube — the underground
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. wound — an injury
  19. stem — to come from
  20. wound — an injury
  21. rock — music
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. wax — to grow
  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