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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. board — to get on
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. board — a committee
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. field — a subject
  13. bat — the animal
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. stock — shares
  17. field — for sport
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stock — goods
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. field — farmland
  24. stem — of a plant

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