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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: arm · fall · stem · bay · toast · wake · wave · clip

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. clip — to cut
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. clip — for paper
  5. clip — a video
  6. toast — bread
  7. fall — to drop
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. fall — the season
  17. fall — to drop
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. stem — to come from
  24. wave — of the sea

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