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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. craft — a skill
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. bear — the animal
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. press — a publisher
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. craft — boats
  15. wax — to grow
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — to push
  18. pass — a permit
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. dip — to sink
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. coach — a trainer

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