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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 116 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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. swing — music
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. spell — a short time
  8. board — a committee
  9. spell — letters
  10. staff — a stick
  11. board — to get on
  12. bat — the animal
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. spell — magic
  15. swing — to play on
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. swing — in golf
  19. stem — to come from
  20. staff — employees
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. staff — employees
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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