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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  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. mate — a partner
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. board — to get on
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. wake — a trail
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a friend
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. board — a committee
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. lie — to recline
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. season — in sport
  22. stem — to come from
  23. season — of the year
  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