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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. staff — a stick
  3. bound — obliged
  4. spell — letters
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. object — a thing
  8. spell — a short time
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. object — to protest
  11. content — the amount
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. staff — employees
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. content — happy
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bound — certain
  19. staff — employees
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. bound — tied together
  22. stand — to bear
  23. object — an aim
  24. spell — magic

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