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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 happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. track — a song
  3. track — to keep track
  4. kick — in football
  5. stem — to come from
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. chip — for betting
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. bear — the animal
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bear — the animal
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. track — a path
  15. chip — to eat
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. rash — hasty
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. rash — a series
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. rash — on the skin

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