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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. row — a line
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. wax — to grow
  6. stem — to come from
  7. season — in sport
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. mug — to rob
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. mug — a face
  13. row — to paddle
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. mug — a cup
  17. season — of the year
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. ball — a dance
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. tube — the underground
  24. season — to add flavour

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