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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. fall — the season
  3. stem — to come from
  4. fall — to drop
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. mine — for digging
  10. rest — what's left
  11. cue — a hint
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. fall — to drop
  15. cue — a signal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. cue — for pool
  18. rest — a break

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