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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 116 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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. wax — to grow
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. key — the most important part
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. cold — not warm
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. cold — an illness
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. key — in music
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. deal — to handle
  17. key — for a lock
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. stem — to come from
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. stem — of a plant

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