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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. wax — to grow
  6. cell — in biology
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. kick — in football
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. squash — to crush
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. stem — to come from
  18. cell — a phone
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. rock — a stone
  21. squash — the sport
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. rock — music
  24. squash — the vegetable

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