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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pit · trunk · pass · stem · safe · press · rash · wax

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pass — a permit
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. rash — hasty
  7. wax — to grow
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. press — a publisher
  13. rash — a series
  14. press — to push
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. press — newspapers
  18. pit — in a race
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pit — a hole
  22. stem — to come from
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. rash — on the skin

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