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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  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. pass — to succeed
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. field — farmland
  5. wax — to grow
  6. field — for sport
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. mark — a grade
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. can — to be able to
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. pass — a permit
  20. mark — a trace
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. bulb — for light
  23. field — a subject
  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