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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. bore — to tire
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. lean — thin
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — there
  9. mug — to rob
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. mug — a cup
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bore — to drill
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. mug — a face
  19. track — to keep track
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. track — a path
  22. lean — to bend
  23. track — a song
  24. present — the time now

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