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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. mate — to breed
  3. season — of the year
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. cap — a hat
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. foot — a measure
  9. lean — to bend
  10. mate — a friend
  11. stem — to come from
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. cap — of ice
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. mate — a partner
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. branch — a division
  22. season — in sport
  23. cap — a lid
  24. foot — the bottom

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