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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. wake — a trail
  5. club — for dancing
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. ground — a position
  8. tube — the underground
  9. club — for golf
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. foot — a measure
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. stem — to come from
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. ground — the earth
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. rash — a series
  19. ground — crushed
  20. tube — a container
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. rash — hasty
  24. club — a group

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