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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. stem — to come from
  4. ground — the earth
  5. ground — crushed
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of a king
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. foot — a measure
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. land — a country
  15. land — to come down
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. pop — to visit
  18. court — of law
  19. land — ground
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. pop — music
  22. ground — a position
  23. pop — soda
  24. stem — of a plant

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