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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. shower — rain
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. rule — government
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. staff — a stick
  12. clip — a video
  13. mine — for digging
  14. staff — employees
  15. stem — to come from
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. clip — for paper
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. clip — to cut
  22. shower — to wash
  23. staff — employees
  24. rule — a law

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