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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. last — to go on
  4. current — happening now
  5. rest — what's left
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. stem — to come from
  8. root — the cause
  9. root — of a word
  10. last — final
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. current — of water
  15. wake — a trail
  16. root — of a plant
  17. current — electric
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. rest — what's left
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. rest — a break
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. ruler — for measuring

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