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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. cap — of ice
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. cap — a lid
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — employees
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. can — to be able to
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. pound — a weight
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. can — a tin
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. cap — a hat
  23. stem — to come from
  24. can — a tin

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