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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: sharp · stand · wake · suit · stem · present · clip · rash

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. present — a gift
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. rash — a series
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. wake — a trail
  8. sharp — clever
  9. present — there
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. suit — clothes
  14. present — the time now
  15. suit — in cards
  16. rash — hasty
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — to bear
  21. clip — a video
  22. clip — for paper
  23. suit — to fit
  24. clip — to cut

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