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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. cap — a lid
  3. present — there
  4. stem — to come from
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. cap — of ice
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. rest — what's left
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. rule — a law
  13. present — a gift
  14. lean — thin
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. present — the time now
  17. cap — a hat
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rule — government
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. lean — to bend
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. rule — to rule out

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