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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  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 — before a funeral
  2. row — to paddle
  3. stem — to come from
  4. face — to confront
  5. row — a line
  6. cue — a hint
  7. track — a song
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. current — of water
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. face — part of the head
  15. bark — to shout
  16. cue — a signal
  17. track — to keep track
  18. face — to point toward
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — electric
  21. wake — a trail
  22. cue — for pool
  23. track — a path
  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