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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  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. mark — to pay attention
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. stem — to come from
  6. mate — a friend
  7. ground — the earth
  8. mark — a grade
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mark — a trace
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. ground — crushed
  14. rest — what's left
  15. ground — a position
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. rest — a break
  18. mate — to breed
  19. rest — what's left
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. nail — for a hammer
  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