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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. cap — a lid
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. shower — to wash
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bank — of a river
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bank — for money
  15. shower — rain
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. can — a tin
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — to grow
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bank — for money
  22. vault — a safe
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. cap — of ice

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