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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. last — to go on
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. last — final
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. rash — a series
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. last — finally
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. stem — to come from
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. row — to paddle
  22. rash — hasty
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. row — a line

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