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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 116 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: pitcher · rash · wave · saw · lean · fan · stem · game

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. lean — thin
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. saw — the tool
  13. stem — to come from
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. game — wild animals
  19. rash — hasty
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. saw — the tool
  22. rash — a series
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. game — a match

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