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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. degree — temperature
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. degree — from a university
  9. deal — to handle
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. stem — to come from
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — a division
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. spring — of water
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. degree — an amount
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. spring — a coil
  24. spring — the season

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