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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pass — a permit
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. net — for catching
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. last — finally
  17. can — to be able to
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. stem — to come from
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. last — final
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — after costs
  24. saw — the tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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