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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
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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 · fan · wind · field · track · saw · stem · row

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. track — to keep track
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. track — a song
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. stem — to come from
  11. wind — moving air
  12. row — to paddle
  13. row — a line
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. field — a subject
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. track — a path
  19. field — farmland
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. field — for sport

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