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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. spell — letters
  3. mug — to rob
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. spell — a short time
  6. ground — the earth
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. ground — a position
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. mug — a cup
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. spell — magic
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mug — a face
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pass — a permit
  24. stem — to come from

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