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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 124 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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bound — tied together
  4. stem — to come from
  5. dip — to sink
  6. rash — a series
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bank — for money
  9. firm — steady
  10. bound — certain
  11. suit — in cards
  12. bound — obliged
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. bank — for money
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. firm — decided
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. wake — a trail
  19. firm — a company
  20. suit — to fit
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. suit — clothes
  24. wake — before a funeral

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