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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. dip — to sink
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. pass — a permit
  6. wax — to grow
  7. stem — to come from
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. fine — all right
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. spring — of water
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. spring — the season
  18. fine — high quality
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. spring — a coil
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — a division

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