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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 116 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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  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. drill — army training
  2. cell — in biology
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stem — to come from
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. spell — a short time
  11. saw — the tool
  12. drill — a practice
  13. spell — letters
  14. saw — the tool
  15. drill — the tool
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — to bear
  18. cell — a phone
  19. spell — magic
  20. firm — decided
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. firm — steady
  23. firm — a company
  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