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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 124 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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bear — the animal
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. mate — a friend
  6. drill — army training
  7. mate — to breed
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. last — final
  11. drill — a practice
  12. firm — decided
  13. wake — a trail
  14. firm — steady
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. mate — a partner
  17. drill — the tool
  18. last — finally
  19. stem — to come from
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. bear — the animal
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. firm — a company
  24. ruler — for measuring

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