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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: key · coach · stem · pass · spring · fall · wax · mate

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. spring — of water
  3. fall — to drop
  4. key — for a lock
  5. spring — a coil
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. spring — the season
  9. key — the most important part
  10. wax — to grow
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. fall — to drop
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. mate — a partner
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. mate — to breed
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. pass — a permit
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. fall — the season
  22. stem — to come from
  23. mate — a friend
  24. stem — a stem cell

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