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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. wax — to grow
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. object — to protest
  5. content — happy
  6. present — the time now
  7. land — a country
  8. content — the amount
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — an aim
  12. board — to get on
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. land — to come down
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. board — a committee
  20. land — ground
  21. present — a gift
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stem — to come from

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