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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. David sat on the ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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. swing — to play on
  4. march — the month
  5. swing — music
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. swing — in golf
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. track — to keep track
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. track — a path
  19. bat — the animal
  20. march — music
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. track — a song
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. march — the month

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