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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 · stem · season · tear · dip · kick

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. kick — in football
  4. tear — from crying
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. tear — from crying
  9. season — in sport
  10. tear — to rip
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. dip — to sink
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. dip — a sauce

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