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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. pass — a permit
  5. stem — to come from
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. cue — a signal
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. cue — a hint
  15. net — in sport
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wind — moving air
  20. net — after costs
  21. wound — an injury
  22. cue — for pool
  23. net — for catching
  24. wound — an injury

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