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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: club · cell · firm · bore · ground · wave · row · stem

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. ground — the earth
  3. club — a group
  4. firm — decided
  5. row — a line
  6. row — to paddle
  7. firm — steady
  8. stem — to come from
  9. bore — to tire
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. ground — a position
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. cell — a phone
  15. bore — to drill
  16. cell — in biology
  17. club — for dancing
  18. firm — a company
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. ground — crushed
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. club — for golf

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