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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. plane — a tool
  3. last — finally
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. stem — to come from
  7. last — to go on
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. prune — to trim
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. court — for sport
  13. court — of law
  14. season — of the year
  15. court — of a king
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. cap — of ice
  18. last — final
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. cap — a lid
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. cap — a hat
  23. season — in sport
  24. prune — to trim

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