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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. shower — rain
  4. fall — the season
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wake — a trail
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. fall — to drop
  17. shower — to wash
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. lie — to recline
  22. fall — to drop
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wake — before a funeral

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