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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — a trail
  3. firm — a company
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. last — finally
  6. firm — steady
  7. bear — the animal
  8. field — a subject
  9. drill — army training
  10. stem — to come from
  11. last — to go on
  12. bear — the animal
  13. current — happening now
  14. drill — a practice
  15. last — final
  16. drill — the tool
  17. current — of water
  18. current — electric
  19. field — farmland
  20. field — for sport
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. firm — decided
  24. stem — a stem cell

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