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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. suit — clothes
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. suit — to fit
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. row — to paddle
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fall — to drop
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. suit — in cards
  17. fall — the season
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. scale — size or range
  23. scale — in music
  24. row — a line

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