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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 · mug · bear · wind · spring · rest · stem · roll

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. roll — a list
  3. rest — a break
  4. spring — the season
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. spring — of water
  8. mug — a face
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. wind — moving air
  12. spring — a coil
  13. stem — to come from
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. roll — a cake
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rest — what's left
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. mug — to rob
  21. rest — what's left
  22. mug — a cup
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. wave — with your hand

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