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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. tube — the underground
  4. rash — hasty
  5. game — wild animals
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. content — the amount
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. stem — to come from
  13. content — happy
  14. suit — clothes
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. suit — to fit
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. game — a match
  21. rash — a series
  22. suit — in cards
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — in a tire

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