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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. band — a music group
  4. bass — the fish
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. lean — thin
  9. wound — an injury
  10. lean — to bend
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. band — a ring
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. bass — low music
  19. wax — to grow
  20. stem — to come from
  21. pass — a permit
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. wound — an injury

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