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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. chest — a box
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. rock — music
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. chest — of your body
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. prune — to trim
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. rock — a stone
  11. stem — to come from
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. prune — to trim
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. lean — to bend
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. lean — thin
  21. chest — of your body
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — moving air

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