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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 · bank · saw · wave · wound · stand · pop · bat

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bank — for money
  3. wound — an injury
  4. pop — music
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. pop — to visit
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. pop — soda
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bank — for money
  13. saw — the tool
  14. stand — to bear
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stem — to come from
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bat — the animal
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wound — an injury
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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