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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pound · leaves · wave · land · wake · stem · pitcher · object

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. stem — to come from
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. pound — a weight
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. object — an aim
  13. land — to come down
  14. object — a thing
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. object — to protest
  19. land — a country
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. land — ground
  24. wake — a trail

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