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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. field — a subject
  3. mug — a face
  4. firm — a company
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. field — for sport
  7. stem — to come from
  8. ground — a position
  9. field — farmland
  10. firm — steady
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. rule — a law
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. ground — the earth
  16. firm — decided
  17. tear — to rip
  18. ground — crushed
  19. tear — from crying
  20. mug — a cup
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. tear — from crying
  23. mug — to rob
  24. rule — government

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