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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: content · season · stem · cue · fan · wake · capital · bore

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. season — in sport
  3. wake — a trail
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. season — of the year
  7. content — the amount
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. content — happy
  10. cue — a hint
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — to come from
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bore — to tire
  15. capital — a city
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. cue — a signal
  21. capital — money
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — gave birth

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