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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. board — a committee
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. rock — music
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — help
  12. stem — to come from
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. cap — a hat
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cap — of ice
  18. wax — to grow
  19. board — to get on
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. rock — a stone
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. cap — a lid
  24. wave — with your hand

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