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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. stem — to come from
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. shower — rain
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. present — there
  8. pop — music
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. rock — music
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. present — a gift
  16. content — the amount
  17. shower — to wash
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. pop — to visit
  20. rock — a stone
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. content — happy
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. present — the time now

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