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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. perch — the fish
  4. press — newspapers
  5. wound — an injury
  6. track — a path
  7. press — a publisher
  8. track — a song
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. track — to keep track
  13. lie — to recline
  14. press — to push
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wound — an injury
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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