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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. fall — the season
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. season — in sport
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. press — to push
  7. fine — high quality
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. bound — tied together
  10. capital — money
  11. bound — certain
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. season — of the year
  15. capital — a city
  16. bound — obliged
  17. fine — all right
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — newspapers
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. stem — to come from

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