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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: stand · date · stem · bear · wave · club · bass · spell

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. spell — letters
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bear — the animal
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. spell — magic
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bass — the fish
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bass — low music
  17. club — a group
  18. spell — a short time
  19. club — for golf
  20. date — the fruit
  21. stand — to bear
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. bear — the animal

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