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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: march · stick · rest · land · bark · last · wake · stem

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. stem — to come from
  3. rest — what's left
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. bark — to shout
  6. wake — a trail
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. rest — a break
  10. land — to come down
  11. last — finally
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. march — the month
  15. march — the month
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. last — to go on
  18. land — ground
  19. march — music
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. land — a country
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. last — final

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