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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. fall — the season
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. fall — to drop
  5. cell — a phone
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. content — the amount
  9. stem — to come from
  10. wax — to grow
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. season — in sport
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. pitch — completely
  16. content — happy
  17. cell — in biology
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. season — of the year
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. content — videos and posts

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