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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. wax — to grow
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. cap — of ice
  5. roll — a cake
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. march — the month
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stem — to come from
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. cap — a lid
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. march — music
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. cap — a hat
  18. snap — to click
  19. roll — a list
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. march — the month
  22. stand — to bear
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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