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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. wax — to grow
  4. rest — a break
  5. row — a line
  6. current — happening now
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. current — of water
  12. current — electric
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rest — what's left
  15. field — for sport
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. field — a subject
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. field — farmland
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. stem — to come from
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. leaves — of a tree

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