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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: coach · current · wave · fan · face · mouse · band · stem

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stem — to come from
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. current — of water
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. current — happening now
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to confront
  18. current — electric
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. band — a ring
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. band — a music group

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