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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. cap — a hat
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. cap — of ice
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. sharp — clever
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. stem — to come from
  21. present — there
  22. cap — a lid
  23. present — the time now
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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