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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. staff — a stick
  7. stock — shares
  8. face — to confront
  9. scale — in music
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. spell — letters
  13. scale — size or range
  14. face — to point toward
  15. staff — employees
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. face — part of the head
  20. spell — a short time
  21. stem — to come from
  22. spell — magic
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. stock — goods

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