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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: wake · leaves · land · stick · stem · track · march · squash

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. track — to keep track
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. march — the month
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. track — a song
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. squash — to crush
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stem — to come from
  16. squash — the sport
  17. land — a country
  18. land — ground
  19. land — to come down
  20. march — the month
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. track — a path
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. wake — a trail

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