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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  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. stem — to come from
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — a trail
  5. mine — for digging
  6. last — final
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bound — obliged
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. stand — to bear
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bound — certain
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. board — to get on
  17. bear — the animal
  18. last — finally
  19. last — to go on
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. bear — the animal
  23. board — a committee
  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