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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 120 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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — tied together
  4. stem — to come from
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — hasty
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitch — completely
  20. bound — certain
  21. kick — in football
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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