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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. cap — a lid
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. present — the time now
  7. stem — to come from
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. race — the arms race
  12. shower — to wash
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. wake — a trail
  15. shower — rain
  16. race — humankind
  17. cap — a hat
  18. wax — to grow
  19. present — there
  20. cap — of ice
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. present — a gift
  24. race — a contest

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