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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. last — final
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. net — after costs
  6. pass — a permit
  7. stem — to come from
  8. net — for catching
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. ground — crushed
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. ground — a position
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. last — to go on
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. last — finally
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mark — a trace
  22. net — in sport
  23. mark — a grade
  24. wave — with your hand

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