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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: arm · last · stem · bulb · deal · wake · jam · racket

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. wake — a trail
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. last — finally
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. deal — to handle
  20. last — to go on
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bulb — for light
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. jam — in traffic

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