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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. ground — crushed
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. ground — the earth
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. lie — to recline
  9. ground — a position
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pit — a hole
  12. rash — hasty
  13. wax — to grow
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. pit — in a race
  16. rash — a series
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. stem — to come from
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — to trim

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