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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stem — to come from
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. present — there
  7. rash — a series
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. land — ground
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — of your body
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. land — a country
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. present — a gift
  19. land — to come down
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. chest — a box
  22. rash — hasty
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. jam — a tight spot

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