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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. cap — a hat
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. bound — certain
  5. present — there
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pass — a permit
  9. bound — obliged
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. present — a gift
  13. bound — tied together
  14. spring — of water
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. cap — of ice
  18. stem — to come from
  19. present — the time now
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. spring — a coil
  23. cap — a lid
  24. stem — a stem cell

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