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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  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. mark — a grade
  2. cell — in biology
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. mark — a trace
  5. swing — to play on
  6. firm — steady
  7. bound — tied together
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. firm — decided
  12. swing — in golf
  13. bound — certain
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. stem — to come from
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. swing — music
  20. cell — a phone
  21. firm — a company
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. mark — to pay attention
  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