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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. wake — a trail
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. mate — a friend
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. stem — to come from
  8. track — a song
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. shower — rain
  11. rule — government
  12. mate — a partner
  13. rule — a law
  14. track — to keep track
  15. mate — to breed
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. shower — to wash
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. track — a path

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