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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. ball — a dance
  3. scale — size or range
  4. saw — the tool
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. staff — employees
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. pound — a weight
  18. saw — the tool
  19. staff — a stick
  20. scale — in music
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. staff — employees
  24. scale — for weighing

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