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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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Word bank
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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: track · lie · pop · stem · rash · safe · wave · patient

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. pop — music
  8. stem — to come from
  9. rash — hasty
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. rash — a series
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. track — a song
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. track — to keep track
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. pop — to visit
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. pop — soda
  23. track — a path
  24. lie — an untruth

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