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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. cue — a signal
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. field — a subject
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mate — to breed
  9. cue — a hint
  10. stem — to come from
  11. cue — for pool
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. field — for sport
  14. rock — a stone
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. mate — a friend
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. field — farmland
  24. rock — music

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