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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. mug — a face
  4. stem — to come from
  5. pound — a weight
  6. cold — not warm
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. cold — an illness
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. mug — a cup
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. mug — to rob
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. pound — to hit hard

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