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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wake · present · stem · sharp · date · mug · deal · rule

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. deal — to handle
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. date — the fruit
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. present — the time now
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. wake — a trail
  11. mug — a cup
  12. sharp — clever
  13. stem — to come from
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mug — a face
  16. rule — government
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. present — there
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. rule — a law
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. date — on the calendar

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