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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 116 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 am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. stem — to come from
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. race — the arms race
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — a division
  12. perch — the fish
  13. kid — to tease
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. rule — a law
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. rule — government
  19. race — a contest
  20. kid — child
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. race — humankind
  24. wave — with your hand

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