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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. row — to paddle
  6. row — a line
  7. land — a country
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. foot — a measure
  14. land — ground
  15. bore — to drill
  16. can — a tin
  17. bore — to tire
  18. can — a tin
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. stem — to come from
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. can — to be able to
  23. bat — the animal
  24. land — to come down

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