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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  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. bound — tied together
  2. bound — certain
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. current — of water
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. swing — to play on
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. bound — obliged
  9. wind — moving air
  10. current — happening now
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. swing — music
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. pitch — completely
  15. stem — to come from
  16. wind — moving air
  17. swing — in golf
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. current — electric
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. wind — to turn a key
  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