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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 120 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. craft — boats
  3. wound — an injury
  4. craft — a skill
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. fall — to drop
  7. can — a tin
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. stem — to come from
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. can — to be able to
  12. fall — to drop
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. firm — steady
  16. fall — the season
  17. firm — decided
  18. wound — an injury
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. wake — a trail
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. can — a tin
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. craft — a handicraft

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