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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cap — of ice
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. object — a thing
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. pop — soda
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. stem — to come from
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. pop — to visit
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. pop — music
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. cap — a lid
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. pass — a permit
  19. chip — for betting
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. object — an aim
  22. chip — to eat
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. chip — in a computer

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