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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: bowl · wave · board · stem · hand · lean · roll · pop

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. pop — soda
  5. lean — to bend
  6. roll — a list
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. pop — to visit
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. hand — in cards
  12. board — a committee
  13. roll — a cake
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. stem — to come from
  18. pop — music
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. hand — help
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. board — to get on
  24. lean — thin

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