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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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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: wave · stem · row · cue · bay · fan · snap · chip

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. row — a line
  4. stem — to come from
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. snap — to click
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. chip — for betting
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. cue — for pool
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. cue — a signal
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. chip — to eat
  22. row — to paddle
  23. cue — a hint
  24. fan — a supporter

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