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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 116 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
468
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: march · stem · pound · wave · row · current · bulb · rash

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. march — the month
  3. row — to paddle
  4. stem — to come from
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. rash — hasty
  7. march — the month
  8. row — a line
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. rash — a series
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. current — of water
  14. pound — a weight
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. current — electric
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. current — happening now
  24. stem — of a plant

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