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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mug — to rob
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. content — the amount
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. cue — for pool
  12. rush — hurry
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ground — a position
  15. mug — a face
  16. ground — the earth
  17. cue — a hint
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. content — happy
  20. cue — a signal
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. rest — a break
  23. mug — a cup
  24. 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