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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: net · pass · wound · stem · present · fan · wave · bay

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. net — after costs
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wound — an injury
  9. present — a gift
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — for catching
  12. wound — an injury
  13. present — the time now
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. present — there
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. stem — to come from

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