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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: date · firm · wave · pit · stem · wind

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. date — the fruit
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. pit — in a race
  8. firm — decided
  9. stem — to come from
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. firm — a company
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. pit — a hole
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. wave — of the sea

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