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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: wave · rest · board · stem · nail · jam · face · ground

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. rest — what's left
  3. board — to get on
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. board — a committee
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. rest — a break
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. face — part of the head
  14. face — to confront
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ground — a position
  18. ground — the earth
  19. face — to point toward
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rest — what's left
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. jam — in traffic

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