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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. bore — to drill
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. bore — to tire
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. face — to point toward
  13. kick — in football
  14. wax — to grow
  15. stem — to come from
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. face — part of the head
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. march — the month
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. face — to confront
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. wax — for sculpting

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