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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. tube — a container
  4. staff — a stick
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. staff — employees
  7. stand — to bear
  8. spring — a coil
  9. foot — a measure
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. fine — high quality
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. staff — employees
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stem — to come from
  20. spring — of water
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. tube — the underground
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. fine — all right

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