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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. present — there
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. file — a line of people
  6. present — a gift
  7. mate — to breed
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. pitch — completely
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. present — the time now
  12. file — a document
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. scale — size or range
  15. wax — to grow
  16. mate — a partner
  17. stem — to come from
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. scale — in music
  22. file — a tool
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. wax — in the ear

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