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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. rock — music
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. rock — a stone
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. kid — to tease
  12. stem — to come from
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. bear — the animal
  17. pitch — completely
  18. kid — child
  19. net — in sport
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. net — after costs
  23. net — for catching
  24. stem — a stem cell

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