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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. suit — in cards
  3. saw — the tool
  4. net — in sport
  5. suit — to fit
  6. net — after costs
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. cap — a lid
  11. net — for catching
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. saw — the tool
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. suit — clothes
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. stem — to come from
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. cap — a hat
  24. lash — to lash out

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