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

Word bank: wake · stem · track · vault · rest · mate · last · pit

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  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. stem — of a plant
  2. rest — a break
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — a trail
  6. mate — a friend
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a hole
  9. mate — to breed
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. last — to go on
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. mate — a partner
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. rest — what's left
  17. last — final
  18. rest — what's left
  19. track — a path
  20. vault — a safe
  21. track — to keep track
  22. track — a song
  23. last — finally
  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