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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. spell — magic
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. object — a thing
  7. net — after costs
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bound — tied together
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. net — in sport
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. spell — a short time
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — to grow
  16. spell — letters
  17. bound — obliged
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bound — certain
  20. object — an aim
  21. net — for catching
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stem — to come from
  24. object — to protest

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