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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. stem — to come from
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. cold — not warm
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. rock — a stone
  15. wake — a trail
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. cold — an illness
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. stand — to bear
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. rock — music
  24. saw — the tool

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