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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  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. safe — a strongbox
  2. last — to go on
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cue — a hint
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. last — final
  9. mug — to rob
  10. hand — help
  11. present — there
  12. cue — a signal
  13. hand — in cards
  14. mug — a face
  15. stem — to come from
  16. mug — a cup
  17. present — a gift
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. last — finally
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. present — the time now
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. wake — a trail
  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