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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. ball — a dance
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. wake — a trail
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. stem — to come from
  9. race — a contest
  10. pitch — completely
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. board — to get on
  13. race — the arms race
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. fall — the season
  16. wax — to grow
  17. fall — to drop
  18. board — a committee
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. fall — to drop
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. ball — a great time
  23. race — humankind
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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