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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 116 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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. rest — what's left
  4. suit — to fit
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. suit — in cards
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — to get on
  9. file — a document
  10. rest — what's left
  11. ground — a position
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. file — a line of people
  14. file — a tool
  15. content — happy
  16. content — the amount
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. ground — the earth
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. ground — crushed
  23. suit — clothes
  24. rest — a break

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