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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 116 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: stem · ruler · wave · present · cell · season · sharp · wound

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wound — an injury
  3. present — there
  4. wound — an injury
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. cell — in biology
  7. stem — to come from
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. season — in sport
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — a gift
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. cell — a phone
  21. season — of the year
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. sharp — clever

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