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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. last — to go on
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. game — a match
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. last — finally
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. game — wild animals
  11. pit — in a race
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. last — final
  16. dip — to sink
  17. stem — to come from
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — hasty
  22. pit — a hole
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. game — a kind of play

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