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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: fan · spell · hand · stem · mouse · stock · wave · bear

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. bear — the animal
  3. spell — letters
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — goods
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. hand — in cards
  12. spell — magic
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bear — the animal
  17. hand — help
  18. spell — a short time
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. hand — part of the body

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