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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.

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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: scale · straw · mate · stem · season · racket · wave · row

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mate — to breed
  6. row — a line
  7. scale — in music
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — of the year
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. scale — size or range
  19. mate — a friend
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. stem — to come from
  23. row — to paddle
  24. scale — for weighing

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