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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — moving air
  3. board — a committee
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. pit — a hole
  6. object — to protest
  7. field — farmland
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. stem — to come from
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. object — a thing
  14. mug — a cup
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. field — a subject
  17. object — an aim
  18. mug — a face
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. mug — to rob
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. board — to get on
  23. pit — in a race
  24. field — for sport

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