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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. capital — money
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. rest — a break
  5. stem — to come from
  6. wind — moving air
  7. club — for dancing
  8. rest — what's left
  9. capital — a city
  10. bank — for money
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. club — for golf
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bank — of a river
  18. club — a group
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ball — a dance
  21. wind — moving air
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bank — for money
  24. stem — a stem cell

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