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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. march — the month
  3. firm — decided
  4. firm — a company
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. firm — steady
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. land — a country
  10. cell — in biology
  11. land — to come down
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. foot — a measure
  17. land — ground
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. march — the month
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. march — music

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