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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. rule — a law
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bass — low music
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bass — the fish
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rule — government
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. bark — to shout
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — moving air
  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