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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. pass — a permit
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. bank — of a river
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bat — the animal
  15. wax — to grow
  16. mark — a grade
  17. stem — to come from
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. date — the fruit
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — for money

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