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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 120 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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. pass — a permit
  4. suit — to fit
  5. foot — a measure
  6. board — a committee
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. board — to get on
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. suit — in cards
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. shower — rain
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. chair — a leader
  23. shower — to wash
  24. suit — clothes

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