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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.

Words on the sheet
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: wave · stand · stem · mouse · arm · season · toast · pitcher

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. season — of the year
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. stand — to bear
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. toast — bread
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. season — in sport
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stand — for spectators
  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