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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: suit · pass · wave · kid · dip · chest · stem · perch

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. chest — of your body
  4. dip — to sink
  5. perch — the fish
  6. pass — a permit
  7. kid — to tease
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. chest — a box
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. suit — clothes
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. kid — child
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. suit — to fit
  21. chest — of your body
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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