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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: wave · snap · wake · stem · foot · sharp · race · wound

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. stem — to come from
  3. race — humankind
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. race — a contest
  7. wound — an injury
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. wake — a trail
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. snap — to click
  12. wound — an injury
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. foot — a measure
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — clever
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. race — the arms race
  24. sharp — with an edge

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