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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. land — ground
  4. band — a music group
  5. track — to keep track
  6. land — a country
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. tube — a container
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. tube — the underground
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — a permit
  14. track — a song
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. band — a ring
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. wax — to grow
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. land — to come down
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. track — a path
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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