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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. rest — a break
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. fork — in a road
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. cap — a lid
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. present — there
  15. present — a gift
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. cap — of ice
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. present — the time now
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. rest — what's left
  22. stem — to come from
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. rest — what's left

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