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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. can — a tin
  4. rest — a break
  5. club — for golf
  6. can — a tin
  7. club — a group
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. stem — to come from
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. root — of a word
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. club — for dancing
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. root — of a plant
  21. root — the cause
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rest — what's left
  24. wave — of the sea

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