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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 116 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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. court — of law
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. spring — of water
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. spring — the season
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. court — of a king
  16. bat — the animal
  17. mark — a grade
  18. spring — a coil
  19. stem — to come from
  20. mark — a trace
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. court — for sport
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. nail — on a finger

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