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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  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. patient — calm and waiting
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. rest — what's left
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. race — the arms race
  8. rest — a break
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. race — humankind
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. pass — a permit
  19. rest — what's left
  20. race — a contest
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. snap — to click
  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