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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stand — to bear
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. rush — hurry
  12. stem — to come from
  13. sharp — clever
  14. cap — a lid
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. cap — of ice
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. cap — a hat

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