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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 120 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. present — the time now
  12. stem — to come from
  13. current — of water
  14. present — a gift
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. capital — a city
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pass — a permit
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. capital — money
  22. current — electric
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. current — happening now

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