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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 am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. can — a tin
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. foot — a measure
  7. mine — for digging
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. can — to be able to
  10. stem — to come from
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. can — a tin
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — of ice
  19. fall — to drop
  20. cap — a lid
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — the season

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