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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. wax — to grow
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — all right
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. kick — in football
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. snap — to click
  13. fine — high quality
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. bat — the animal
  22. stem — to come from
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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