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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: snap · present · stem · arm · calf · ground · season · wave

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. 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. stem — a stem cell
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. season — in sport
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. snap — to click
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. stem — to come from
  9. ground — the earth
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. ground — crushed
  12. present — a gift
  13. season — of the year
  14. present — the time now
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. ground — a position
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. present — there
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. 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