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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. scale — size or range
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. fork — in a road
  13. stem — to come from
  14. shower — to wash
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. band — a ring
  17. shower — rain
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. band — a music group
  22. scale — in music
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. fork — to eat with

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