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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
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: field · row · cabinet · season · present · wave · stem · shower

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. field — a subject
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. present — the time now
  8. season — in sport
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. present — a gift
  12. field — farmland
  13. row — to paddle
  14. field — for sport
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. season — of the year
  18. shower — rain
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. shower — to wash
  21. stem — to come from
  22. present — there
  23. row — a line
  24. wave — with your hand

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