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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. drill — the tool
  3. cold — not warm
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. drill — army training
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. fine — all right
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. cold — an illness
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. stem — to come from
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. drill — a practice
  22. fine — high quality
  23. lie — to recline
  24. fan — to cool the air

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