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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — to grow
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. board — a committee
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. root — of a word
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. pass — a permit
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. root — the cause
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. board — to get on
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. stem — to come from
  22. root — of a plant
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bay — a horse colour

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