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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 116 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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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: stem · mate · wax · rest · net · rush · pass · drill

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. pass — a permit
  3. net — in sport
  4. mate — a friend
  5. net — for catching
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. drill — army training
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. drill — a practice
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. rest — a break
  13. rush — hurry
  14. drill — the tool
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. stem — to come from
  17. wax — to grow
  18. net — after costs
  19. rest — what's left
  20. mate — a partner
  21. rest — what's left
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. mate — to breed
  24. rush — a thrill

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