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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.

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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: cabinet · wake · stem · straw · squash · mark · capital · bay

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. wake — a trail
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. squash — the sport
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. squash — to crush
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. capital — a city
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. mark — a grade
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. capital — money
  23. mark — a trace
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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