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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. stem — to come from
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. content — happy
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. present — the time now
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. key — for a lock
  13. present — a gift
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. content — the amount
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. key — the most important part
  24. present — there

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