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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: mug · field · mate · deal · stem · shower · wave · bear

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. bear — the animal
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — to breed
  5. field — for sport
  6. shower — to wash
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. mug — to rob
  9. field — a subject
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bear — the animal
  14. deal — to handle
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — to come from
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. mug — a cup
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. field — farmland
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. shower — rain
  24. mate — a partner

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