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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's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. toast — bread
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — there
  6. present — the time now
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. suit — clothes
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bat — the animal
  14. rush — hurry
  15. suit — to fit
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. suit — in cards
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stem — a stem cell

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