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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 116 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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. shower — rain
  3. stem — to come from
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. track — a path
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. shower — to wash
  8. track — to keep track
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. board — to get on
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. track — a song
  15. wake — a trail
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. fork — in a road
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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