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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 120 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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stem — to come from
  4. club — a group
  5. can — a tin
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. wax — to grow
  8. club — for dancing
  9. club — for golf
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. chest — of your body
  12. spell — a short time
  13. can — to be able to
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. chest — a box
  19. spell — letters
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. can — a tin
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. chest — of your body

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