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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. spell — magic
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. root — of a plant
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. spell — letters
  13. stem — to come from
  14. root — the cause
  15. snap — to click
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. spell — a short time
  18. plane — a tool
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. pitch — completely
  21. root — of a word
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. rush — hurry
  24. plane — an aircraft

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