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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. mark — a grade
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. wax — to grow
  7. stem — to come from
  8. dip — to sink
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — hurry
  13. row — a line
  14. stand — to bear
  15. pop — music
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. mark — a trace
  18. pop — to visit
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. pop — soda
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. row — to paddle

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