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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. march — the month
  3. stem — to come from
  4. foot — a measure
  5. staff — employees
  6. rule — government
  7. march — the month
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. suit — in cards
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. staff — a stick
  14. rule — a law
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. staff — employees
  17. suit — clothes
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. march — music
  24. stem — of a plant

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