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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: prune · stand · straw · wake · nail · stem · last · mug

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mug — to rob
  4. last — to go on
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. last — finally
  8. wake — a trail
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. prune — to trim
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. mug — a face
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. stand — to bear
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. last — final
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. prune — to trim
  24. stem — to come from

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