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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. bat — the animal
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. bulb — for light
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. drill — a practice
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. last — finally
  15. stem — to come from
  16. last — to go on
  17. drill — the tool
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. drill — army training
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. last — final

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