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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. stand — to bear
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — of water
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pitch — completely
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. spring — a coil
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. stem — to come from
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. rule — a law
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. rule — government
  22. wax — to grow
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. wave — of the sea

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