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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. rock — a stone
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. track — to keep track
  6. net — in sport
  7. rock — music
  8. rash — hasty
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — to drop
  11. track — a song
  12. stem — to come from
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. track — a path
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. net — after costs
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. rash — a series
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. fall — the season
  24. net — for catching

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