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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wake — a trail
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. staff — employees
  8. foot — a measure
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. march — the month
  17. staff — employees
  18. stem — to come from

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