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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stem — to come from
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. land — ground
  13. current — of water
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. land — to come down
  16. land — a country
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. vault — a safe
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. current — electric
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. current — happening now
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. arm — part of the body

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