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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. chest — of your body
  4. march — music
  5. fall — to drop
  6. suit — clothes
  7. march — the month
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. stem — to come from
  10. pop — music
  11. chest — a box
  12. last — finally
  13. chest — of your body
  14. pop — soda
  15. board — to get on
  16. board — a committee
  17. suit — in cards
  18. fall — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. march — the month
  21. suit — to fit
  22. pop — to visit
  23. last — final
  24. stem — of a plant

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