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

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. wake — a trail
  3. stem — to come from
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. drill — the tool
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. mark — a trace
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. clip — for paper
  11. clip — a video
  12. rock — music
  13. rash — a series
  14. rash — hasty
  15. drill — army training
  16. drill — a practice
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. clip — to cut
  21. mark — a grade
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rock — to move gently

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