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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 120 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 · bat · stem · fine · rush · cap · wound · lie

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. wound — an injury
  7. stem — to come from
  8. rush — hurry
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. cap — a lid
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. lie — to recline
  15. bat — the animal
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cap — a hat
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. fine — high quality
  23. wound — an injury
  24. fine — all right

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