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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. field — farmland
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. swing — in golf
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. pit — in a race
  7. swing — music
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. swing — to play on
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. field — for sport
  12. field — a subject
  13. pit — a hole
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — to come from
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pass — a permit
  24. wax — to grow

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