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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. face — to confront
  3. firm — steady
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. wind — moving air
  6. court — of law
  7. kick — in football
  8. firm — a company
  9. tube — a container
  10. face — part of the head
  11. firm — decided
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. stem — to come from
  14. wind — moving air
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. face — to point toward
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. court — of a king
  22. tube — the underground
  23. foot — a measure
  24. court — for sport

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