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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. suit — to fit
  3. wound — an injury
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. fine — all right
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. suit — in cards
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wound — an injury
  12. fine — high quality
  13. board — a committee
  14. root — of a word
  15. sharp — clever
  16. root — the cause
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. suit — clothes
  20. board — to get on
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. stem — to come from
  24. root — 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