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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. row — a line
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. drill — a practice
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. stem — to come from
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. net — after costs
  11. row — to paddle
  12. net — for catching
  13. drill — the tool
  14. drill — army training
  15. bank — of a river
  16. pitch — completely
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bank — for money
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. net — in sport
  23. bank — for money
  24. pit — a hole

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