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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. field — a subject
  4. stand — to bear
  5. fall — to drop
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. last — finally
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. fall — the season
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. rock — music
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bear — the animal
  16. last — to go on
  17. field — for sport
  18. fall — to drop
  19. field — farmland
  20. stem — to come from
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to click
  23. bear — the animal
  24. last — final

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