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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 120 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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bound — obliged
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. content — the amount
  10. net — in sport
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — for catching
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. content — happy
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bound — tied together
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. bound — certain

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