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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. mate — a partner
  5. kid — child
  6. mark — a grade
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. track — a path
  10. game — wild animals
  11. mate — a friend
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. track — a song
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mark — a trace
  20. track — to keep track
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. game — a match
  24. kid — to tease

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