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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 120 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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. march — the month
  4. row — to paddle
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. season — in sport
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. staff — a stick
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. march — the month
  13. season — of the year
  14. staff — employees
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wax — to grow
  17. staff — employees
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. march — music
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. row — a line
  24. leaves — lets stay

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