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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rule · rest · stem · wave · present · lean

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. present — there
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. present — a gift
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. rest — a break
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. rule — a law
  12. rest — what's left
  13. lean — to bend
  14. stem — to come from
  15. lean — thin
  16. present — the time now
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. rule — government

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