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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. cap — a lid
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. cap — a hat
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. fine — high quality
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. cap — of ice
  20. hand — in cards
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. hand — help
  23. wax — to grow
  24. leaves — of a tree

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