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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 124 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 had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. season — in sport
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. stem — to come from
  7. key — for a lock
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. key — in music
  12. spell — magic
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bass — the fish
  15. season — of the year
  16. key — the most important part
  17. bass — low music
  18. spell — a short time
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. drill — army training
  21. spell — letters
  22. wax — to grow
  23. drill — the tool
  24. wax — in the ear

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