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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 120 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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. squash — to crush
  3. bear — the animal
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. rush — hurry
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — to bear
  10. wake — a trail
  11. march — the month
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. stem — to come from
  15. march — music
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. bear — the animal
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. march — the month
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. leaves — lets stay

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