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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 120 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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wake — a trail
  4. can — a tin
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. stem — to come from
  9. can — a tin
  10. foot — a measure
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. rush — hurry
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. can — to be able to
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. wax — to grow
  24. foot — the bottom

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