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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. lean — to bend
  6. drill — the tool
  7. present — the time now
  8. drill — a practice
  9. track — a path
  10. drill — army training
  11. stem — to come from
  12. present — there
  13. track — a song
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. present — a gift
  18. lean — thin
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. sharp — clever
  23. season — in sport
  24. track — to keep track

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