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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. march — the month
  6. pit — a hole
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. mine — for digging
  9. march — music
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. toast — bread
  12. pit — in a race
  13. deal — to handle
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — to recline

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