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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: stem · wave · mate · present · mine · snap · fan · leaves

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. snap — to click
  4. mate — a partner
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. stem — to come from
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mine — for digging
  15. present — a gift
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. mate — to breed
  19. present — the time now
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. present — there
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mine — belonging to me

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