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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 116 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — of the year
  4. wound — an injury
  5. rash — a series
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. plane — a tool
  10. scale — in music
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bore — to drill
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. bore — to tire
  18. scale — size or range
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. rash — hasty

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