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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 120 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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. band — a music group
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. pit — a hole
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — the underground
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. pit — in a race
  12. band — a ring
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. suit — to fit
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. suit — clothes
  19. suit — in cards
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. stem — to come from
  22. tube — a container
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. bowl — to roll

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