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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. stem — to come from
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. wake — a trail
  10. last — to go on
  11. squash — to crush
  12. mate — a friend
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. plane — a tool
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. fine — high quality
  17. squash — the sport
  18. last — finally
  19. mate — to breed
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. last — final
  22. fine — all right
  23. mate — a partner
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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