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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. mate — a friend
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — the earth
  6. cap — a hat
  7. ground — a position
  8. cap — of ice
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. chair — a leader
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. mate — to breed
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. mate — a partner
  23. stem — to come from
  24. cap — a lid

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