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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. squash — to crush
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. ground — the earth
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. last — final
  8. band — a ring
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bank — for money
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. craft — boats
  13. bank — of a river
  14. ground — crushed
  15. craft — a skill
  16. last — to go on
  17. band — a music group
  18. bank — for money
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. squash — the sport
  22. ground — a position
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. last — finally

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