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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — to get on
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a lid
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. charge — a price
  12. clip — a video
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. stem — to come from
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. cap — a hat
  18. clip — for paper
  19. wax — to grow
  20. charge — in control
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pitch — completely
  23. charge — electricity
  24. clip — to cut

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