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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. object — to protest
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. rush — hurry
  9. object — a thing
  10. ball — a dance
  11. lean — thin
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. lean — to bend
  14. craft — boats
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. fine — all right
  17. object — an aim
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. craft — a skill
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. fine — high quality

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