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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 120 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. stem — to come from
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wake — a trail
  13. game — wild animals
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. game — a match
  17. mate — a friend
  18. wind — moving air
  19. firm — a company
  20. firm — steady
  21. firm — decided
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — to breed

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