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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. track — a song
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. mug — a cup
  6. stem — to come from
  7. kick — in football
  8. row — a line
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. mug — to rob
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. mug — a face
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. row — to paddle
  15. wax — to grow
  16. track — a path
  17. stand — to bear
  18. staff — employees
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. staff — a stick
  21. staff — employees
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. track — to keep track
  24. kick — a thrill

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