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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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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: chair · shower · saw · pass · wax · kick · stem · content

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. saw — the tool
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. pass — a permit
  5. stem — to come from
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. saw — the tool
  12. shower — rain
  13. chair — a leader
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. content — happy
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. content — the amount
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. shower — to wash
  22. wax — to grow
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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