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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 116 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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. stem — to come from
  3. pop — to visit
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. board — to get on
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. clip — to cut
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. tear — to rip
  11. tear — from crying
  12. clip — for paper
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. pop — music
  15. rush — hurry
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. board — a committee
  18. clip — a video
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. pop — soda
  24. tear — from crying

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