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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. present — there
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. present — a gift
  5. mark — a trace
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a great time
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — a box
  16. mark — a grade
  17. land — a country
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. present — the time now
  20. chest — of your body
  21. ball — a dance
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. land — ground
  24. land — to come down

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