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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 120 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 · fan · club · drill · stem · rush · stick · arm

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. drill — the tool
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. club — a group
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. drill — a practice
  17. club — for dancing
  18. drill — army training
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. club — for golf
  21. stem — to come from
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. rush — hurry
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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