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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 · suit · bat · field · plane · stem · mine · bore

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. suit — in cards
  4. bat — the animal
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. field — a subject
  7. mine — for digging
  8. field — for sport
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bore — to drill
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. bore — to tire
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. plane — a tool
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. suit — to fit
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. field — farmland
  24. suit — clothes

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