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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. last — final
  4. stem — to come from
  5. roll — a list
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. roll — a cake
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. last — finally
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. mine — for digging
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. firm — decided
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. firm — steady
  20. last — to go on
  21. firm — a company
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. stem — a stem cell

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