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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. chest — a box
  6. toast — bread
  7. cap — a hat
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. wind — moving air
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. chest — of your body
  15. band — a ring
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. cap — of ice
  18. band — a music group
  19. cap — a lid
  20. wind — moving air
  21. stem — to come from
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. chest — of your body
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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