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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. cell — in biology
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. shower — rain
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — hurry
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. pit — in a race
  14. shower — to wash
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pitch — completely
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. wax — to grow
  21. stem — to come from
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. cell — a phone
  24. cell — in a prison

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