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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: drill · straw · march · capital · rock · mate · stem · wave

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. march — the month
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. rock — a stone
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. drill — army training
  8. capital — money
  9. march — the month
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — a practice
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a partner
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. march — music
  20. capital — a city
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. mate — a friend
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. rock — music

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