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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: wave · mark · stem · fall · clip · mug · fan · bound

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bound — tied together
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. fall — to drop
  8. stem — to come from
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mug — to rob
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. clip — for paper
  15. bound — obliged
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. bound — certain
  19. clip — to cut
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mug — a cup
  22. mug — a face
  23. clip — a video
  24. mark — a grade

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