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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: stem · wave · stick · club · bat · present

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. club — a group
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. present — the time now
  10. club — for golf
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. present — a gift
  13. club — for dancing
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. present — there

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