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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. object — a thing
  3. ground — crushed
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. present — the time now
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — to protest
  11. ground — the earth
  12. field — a subject
  13. field — farmland
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. stem — to come from
  17. present — a gift
  18. field — for sport
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. ground — a position
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. present — there
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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