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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 am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. fall — to drop
  3. cue — for pool
  4. mug — to rob
  5. cue — a signal
  6. mug — a face
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. mug — a cup
  10. fall — the season
  11. bound — obliged
  12. pit — in a race
  13. file — a document
  14. cue — a hint
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. file — a tool
  17. fall — to drop
  18. stem — to come from
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. file — a line of people
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. bound — certain
  23. pit — a hole
  24. bound — tied together

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