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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. stem — to come from
  5. present — a gift
  6. club — a group
  7. present — the time now
  8. present — there
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. net — after costs
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. net — for catching
  13. wind — moving air
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. wind — moving air
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. net — in sport
  18. branch — a division
  19. mark — a grade
  20. club — for dancing
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. mark — a trace
  23. club — for golf
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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