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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. rock — music
  8. stem — to come from
  9. wake — a trail
  10. key — in music
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. key — the most important part
  13. last — final
  14. key — for a lock
  15. spring — of water
  16. spring — the season
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — a face
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. last — to go on
  23. mug — to rob
  24. spring — a coil

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