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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 · cell · tear · wound · mouse · stem · can · craft

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. wound — an injury
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. craft — a skill
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. can — a tin
  9. tear — from crying
  10. stem — to come from
  11. cell — in biology
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. cell — a phone
  17. craft — boats
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. can — a tin
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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