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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. fall — the season
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. saw — the tool
  9. wound — an injury
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. band — a music group
  12. fall — to drop
  13. rest — what's left
  14. wax — to grow
  15. rest — a break
  16. stem — to come from
  17. saw — the tool
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wound — an injury
  20. band — a ring
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. rest — what's left
  23. fall — to drop
  24. wax — in the ear

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