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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bound — obliged
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. swing — in golf
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. stem — to come from
  9. bound — certain
  10. deal — to handle
  11. present — a gift
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. fork — in a road
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. bound — tied together
  16. swing — music
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bat — the animal
  19. present — there
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. swing — to play on
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. present — the time now

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