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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. file — a line of people
  4. file — a tool
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stem — to come from
  9. bear — the animal
  10. can — a tin
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. file — a document
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. can — a tin
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. capital — money
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. can — to be able to
  22. bear — the animal
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. stem — of a plant

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