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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. pass — a permit
  3. toast — bread
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. stem — to come from
  14. cap — a lid
  15. scale — in music
  16. scale — size or range
  17. wax — to grow
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bulb — for light
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a hat
  23. lean — thin
  24. bulb — for light

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