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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. present — the time now
  3. snap — to click
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. ground — a position
  7. present — a gift
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. can — a tin
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. present — there
  15. ground — crushed
  16. can — a tin
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. stem — to come from
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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