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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. pop — music
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. stem — to come from
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — a stick
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bat — the animal
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. wax — to grow
  22. pop — soda
  23. pop — to visit
  24. racket — for tennis

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