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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  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. stem — to come from
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — music
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. swing — in golf
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. season — in sport
  15. wax — to grow
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. craft — boats
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — of the year
  23. craft — a skill
  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