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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. firm — steady
  3. craft — a skill
  4. last — to go on
  5. snap — to click
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. last — finally
  8. stem — to come from
  9. object — a thing
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. object — to protest
  18. object — an aim
  19. firm — a company
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. firm — decided
  23. craft — boats
  24. stand — to bear

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