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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 116 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 · wind · mate · stem · pitcher · fan · track · pit

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. track — a path
  4. wind — moving air
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. stem — to come from
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. track — a song
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. mate — a partner
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. pit — in a race
  16. wake — a trail
  17. track — to keep track
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. pit — a hole
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. mate — to breed
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. wind — moving air

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