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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 116 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 · stem · tube · net · hand · leaves · can · fall

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. net — after costs
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. fall — to drop
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. can — a tin
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. can — a tin
  10. hand — help
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. hand — in cards
  13. can — to be able to
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. tube — a container
  17. fall — to drop
  18. net — in sport
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — to come from
  21. tube — the underground
  22. net — for catching
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. fall — the season

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