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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 120 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: stem · bat · snap · cabinet · lean · wave · current · bay

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. current — happening now
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stem — to come from
  12. lean — to bend
  13. current — of water
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. lean — thin
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. snap — to click
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. current — electric
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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