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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 120 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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. fall — to drop
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. mark — a trace
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. fall — the season
  7. row — to paddle
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a grade
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. last — finally
  14. bulb — for light
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. stem — to come from
  20. row — a line
  21. bulb — for light
  22. last — to go on
  23. fall — to drop
  24. last — final

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