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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. spring — the season
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. spring — a coil
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. game — wild animals
  9. stem — to come from
  10. rock — music
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. game — a match
  13. mark — a trace
  14. saw — the tool
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. saw — the tool
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. spring — of water
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. mark — a grade
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. game — a kind of play

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