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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. fall — the season
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. stock — goods
  8. drill — the tool
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stock — shares
  13. drill — a practice
  14. shower — rain
  15. fall — to drop
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. shower — to wash
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. fall — to drop
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. lie — to recline
  24. drill — army training

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