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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. key — the most important part
  4. wax — to grow
  5. track — to keep track
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. track — a song
  10. fall — to drop
  11. current — of water
  12. track — a path
  13. current — happening now
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. fall — the season
  16. foot — a measure
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. key — for a lock
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. stem — to come from
  21. key — in music
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. current — electric

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