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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: craft · current · wound · stem · safe · fall · toast · last

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. last — finally
  3. stem — to come from
  4. craft — boats
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. fall — to drop
  8. current — electric
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. fall — the season
  11. wound — an injury
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — of water
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. craft — a skill
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. wound — an injury
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. last — final
  23. toast — bread
  24. fall — to drop

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