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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. saw — the tool
  3. toast — bread
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. last — final
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. mate — a partner
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. last — finally
  17. saw — the tool
  18. last — to go on
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. mate — a friend
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. mate — to breed
  23. wake — a trail
  24. foot — a measure

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