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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. wake — a trail
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. land — ground
  10. wax — to grow
  11. stem — to come from
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. land — a country
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. fan — to cool the air

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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