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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. last — final
  3. last — finally
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rock — a stone
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. snap — to click
  8. rock — music
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. stem — to come from
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. rash — a series
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. wake — before a funeral

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