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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bark · lean · stem · hide · wax · cap · cell · ruler

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stem — to come from
  4. cell — a phone
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. wax — to grow
  10. cell — in biology
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. cap — of ice
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. cap — a hat
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bark — to shout
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. cap — a lid

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