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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. tear — from crying
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. squash — the sport
  10. squash — to crush
  11. prune — to trim
  12. tear — to rip
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. pitch — completely
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. tear — from crying
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. prune — to trim
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. stem — to come from
  22. rush — hurry
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. rush — a thrill

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