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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. fork — in a road
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. tear — from crying
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. mark — a grade
  14. kick — in football
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. tear — from crying
  19. capital — a city
  20. capital — money
  21. tear — to rip
  22. lie — to recline
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mark — a trace

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