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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. stem — to come from
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. firm — a company
  8. drill — army training
  9. drill — a practice
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. present — there
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. ball — a dance
  14. drill — the tool
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. ball — a great time
  19. lean — to bend
  20. present — a gift
  21. present — the time now
  22. firm — decided
  23. pitch — completely
  24. firm — steady

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