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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 · deal · lean · object · spring · rush · stem · wind

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. object — to protest
  3. spring — the season
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. lean — to bend
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — to come from
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. wind — moving air
  12. spring — a coil
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. spring — of water
  16. wind — moving air
  17. object — a thing
  18. object — an aim
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — to handle
  21. lean — thin
  22. rush — hurry
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. wind — to turn a key

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