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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. hand — help
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. club — for golf
  9. club — for dancing
  10. land — a country
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. club — a group
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. fine — all right
  20. fine — high quality
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. land — to come down
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. hand — in cards

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