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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. spell — a short time
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. spell — letters
  9. shower — rain
  10. spell — magic
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. board — a committee
  13. bound — certain
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. bound — tied together
  16. stock — goods
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. shower — to wash
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. board — to get on
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stock — shares
  23. stem — to come from
  24. bound — obliged

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