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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. stem — to come from
  4. rush — hurry
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. season — of the year
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mine — for digging
  14. sharp — clever
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. season — in sport
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. plane — a tool
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. sharp — exactly

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