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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. present — there
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. mate — a friend
  10. content — the amount
  11. stem — to come from
  12. content — happy
  13. foot — a measure
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. mate — a partner
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. present — a gift
  19. present — the time now
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wake — a trail
  24. hide — to keep secret

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