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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. rule — government
  4. last — final
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. last — finally
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. rule — a law
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. last — to go on
  11. bass — the fish
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. stem — to come from
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. bass — low music
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. bore — to drill

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