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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. spell — magic
  4. rock — a stone
  5. tear — from crying
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. spell — letters
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. march — the month
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. march — the month
  12. tear — from crying
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. spell — a short time
  16. march — music
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. toast — bread
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. stem — to come from
  23. rock — music
  24. tear — to rip

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