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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rest — a break
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wax — to grow
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. rest — what's left
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. kid — to tease
  17. stem — to come from
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rest — what's left
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. kid — child
  24. wave — of the sea

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