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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 120 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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. rest — a break
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. stem — to come from
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bat — the animal
  16. rest — what's left
  17. foot — a measure
  18. rest — what's left

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