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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. chest — a box
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. last — finally
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. stem — to come from
  9. last — final
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. race — a contest
  14. cell — in biology
  15. chest — of your body
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — humankind
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. last — to go on
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. cell — a phone
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. chest — of your 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