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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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468
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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 hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. stem — to come from
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pit — a hole
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. rest — a break
  17. date — the fruit
  18. rule — a law
  19. rule — government
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. pit — in a race
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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