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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. stem — to come from
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. prune — to trim
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. prune — to trim
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. wound — an injury
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — hurry
  18. board — to get on
  19. wound — an injury
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. rush — a thrill

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