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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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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: stand · wake · present · saw · wave · rash · club · stem

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. rash — a series
  5. club — a group
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. saw — the tool
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. rash — hasty
  10. stand — to bear
  11. club — for dancing
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. club — for golf
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. saw — the tool
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. present — a gift
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stem — to come from
  22. present — there
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wake — a trail

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