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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. fall — to drop
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. fall — the season
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. tube — a container
  11. bear — the animal
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. clip — for paper
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. tube — the underground
  16. clip — a video
  17. bear — the animal
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stem — to come from
  20. clip — to cut
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. tube — in a tire

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