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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: wake · row · cell · stand · track · bore · firm · prune

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. row — to paddle
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. bore — to drill
  6. row — a line
  7. stand — to bear
  8. prune — to trim
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. cell — in biology
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. firm — a company
  13. prune — to trim
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. wake — a trail
  16. firm — decided
  17. bore — to tire
  18. cell — a phone
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. track — to keep track
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. track — a path
  24. track — a song

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