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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 120 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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. squash — to crush
  6. board — a committee
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. squash — the sport
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. stem — to come from
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. cue — a hint
  14. board — to get on
  15. scale — size or range
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. kick — in football
  19. scale — in music
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. cue — for pool
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. cue — a signal

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