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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. stem — to come from
  3. fall — the season
  4. mug — a cup
  5. rock — music
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. pop — music
  8. mug — a face
  9. rush — hurry
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. hand — help
  12. pop — to visit
  13. rock — a stone
  14. wax — to grow
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. fall — to drop
  17. pop — soda
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. fall — to drop
  20. hand — in cards
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. rock — to move gently

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