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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. clip — for paper
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. prune — to trim
  7. land — to come down
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stem — to come from
  11. chair — a leader
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. land — a country
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. stand — to bear
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. land — ground
  21. clip — a video
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. clip — to cut
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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