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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. pitch — completely
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. hand — in cards
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bound — tied together
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. bound — obliged
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. rest — a break
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. bound — certain
  20. wake — a trail
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. stem — to come from

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