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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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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: ball · firm · kick · stem · present · wave · fall · craft

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. firm — a company
  4. fall — to drop
  5. firm — decided
  6. craft — a skill
  7. ball — a great time
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. fall — the season
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. fall — to drop
  15. kick — in football
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a dance
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. firm — steady
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. craft — boats
  22. present — there
  23. present — the time now
  24. kick — a thrill

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