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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. fine — all right
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pitch — completely
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. chair — a leader
  10. wax — to grow
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. dip — to sink
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. wake — a trail
  24. stem — of a plant

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