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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. press — to push
  4. bound — tied together
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. can — to be able to
  7. bound — certain
  8. can — a tin
  9. last — finally
  10. last — to go on
  11. press — newspapers
  12. tear — to rip
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. wax — to grow
  16. bound — obliged
  17. press — a publisher
  18. bear — the animal
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. last — final
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bear — the animal
  24. can — a tin

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