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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  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. last — to go on
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — help
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bore — to tire
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. wake — a trail
  12. last — finally
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. plane — a tool
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. fall — to drop
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. stem — to come from
  20. last — final
  21. fall — the season
  22. bore — to drill
  23. stem — a stem cell
  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