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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.

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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. fine — high quality
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a path
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — a container
  7. rest — a break
  8. fine — all right
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. season — in sport
  12. stem — to come from
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. rest — what's left
  15. current — electric
  16. current — happening now
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. current — of water
  21. rest — what's left
  22. track — a song
  23. season — of the year
  24. stem — of a plant

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