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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. wax — to grow
  3. mark — a grade
  4. wound — an injury
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. board — to get on
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a trace
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mug — a face
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. mug — to rob
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. toast — bread
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. wound — an injury
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. stem — to come from
  23. board — a committee
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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