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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. scale — in music
  4. bark — to shout
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. scale — size or range
  10. rush — hurry
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. stem — to come from

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