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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: current · bear · wake · last · squash · snap · stem · mug

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. current — of water
  3. mug — to rob
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. current — electric
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. squash — to crush
  9. last — to go on
  10. current — happening now
  11. wake — a trail
  12. mug — a face
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. last — final
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — to come from
  17. snap — to click
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. last — finally
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. bear — the animal
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. mug — a cup
  24. bear — the animal

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