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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bank — for money
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. last — to go on
  7. last — finally
  8. bank — for money
  9. fine — high quality
  10. bore — to tire
  11. current — electric
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. bore — to drill
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. current — of water
  18. bank — of a river
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. last — final
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. current — happening now
  24. fine — all right

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