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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. pass — a permit
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. cap — a hat
  7. wax — to grow
  8. file — a document
  9. file — a line of people
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. cap — of ice
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. cap — a lid
  18. stem — to come from
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. file — a tool
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stand — to bear

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