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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 were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. stem — to come from
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rock — music
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — a permit
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. fall — to drop
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. press — to push
  20. press — a publisher
  21. press — newspapers
  22. fall — the season
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. fall — to drop

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