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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 · staff · firm · track · stem · race · snap · current

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. firm — a company
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. firm — steady
  8. track — a song
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. race — the arms race
  12. snap — to click
  13. staff — employees
  14. current — electric
  15. current — happening now
  16. race — humankind
  17. staff — a stick
  18. stem — to come from
  19. current — of water
  20. firm — decided
  21. track — to keep track
  22. track — a path
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. race — a contest

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