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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stem — to come from
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. pit — in a race
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. foot — a measure
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. spring — the season
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. spring — of water
  20. spring — a coil
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. foot — part of the body

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