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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. stem — to come from
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. deal — to handle
  5. wake — a trail
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. chair — a leader
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. last — to go on
  16. last — finally
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. toast — bread
  24. stem — of a plant

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