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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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468
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: mate · wave · stand · drill · stem · bowl · hide · bound

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stem — to come from
  3. drill — a practice
  4. bound — certain
  5. mate — to breed
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. drill — army training
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. mate — a friend
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. mate — a partner
  16. stand — to bear
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. drill — the tool
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. bound — obliged
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bound — tied together
  24. stem — of a plant

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