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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. stem — to come from
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. track — a song
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. track — to keep track
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. wax — to grow
  13. root — the cause
  14. root — of a word
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bore — to tire
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wake — a trail
  21. root — of a plant
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. bore — to drill
  24. track — a path

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