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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: wound · bore · mine · pass · fine · fan · stem · wave

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. pass — a permit
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bore — to tire
  5. stem — to come from
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. wound — an injury
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. bore — to drill
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fine — all right
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. pass — to succeed

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