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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. stem — to come from
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. current — electric
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. tube — a container
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. rule — a law
  13. current — happening now
  14. wax — to grow
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. current — of water
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. rule — government
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. tube — the underground

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