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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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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: track · hide · snap · wake · stem · present · safe · suit

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. present — the time now
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. present — a gift
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. suit — in cards
  11. present — there
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. suit — clothes
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. track — a path
  17. stem — to come from
  18. track — a song
  19. suit — to fit
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. snap — to click
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wake — a trail
  24. track — to keep track

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