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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. stem — to come from
  3. fall — the season
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rash — hasty
  7. firm — decided
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. rash — a series
  10. fall — to drop
  11. lean — to bend
  12. wake — a trail
  13. lean — thin
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. fall — to drop
  19. firm — steady
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. firm — a company

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