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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. object — an aim
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. cue — a hint
  5. object — a thing
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. wake — a trail
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — to bear
  10. field — farmland
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. object — to protest
  15. field — a subject
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. field — for sport
  20. cue — for pool
  21. stem — to come from
  22. cue — a signal
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. stem — a stem cell

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