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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 116 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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. track — a path
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. deal — to handle
  9. stem — to come from
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. track — to keep track
  12. wax — to grow
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. field — a subject
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. field — for sport
  19. fall — the season
  20. saw — the tool
  21. track — a song
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — to drop
  24. field — farmland

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