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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  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. hide — to keep secret
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. game — a match
  4. swing — to play on
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. stem — to come from
  9. last — finally
  10. pass — a permit
  11. swing — in golf
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. game — wild animals
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. swing — music
  16. last — to go on
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. last — final
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. wave — of the sea
  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