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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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. wave — with your hand
  4. last — final
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. mark — a grade
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. stem — to come from
  10. mark — a trace
  11. rule — government
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. present — there
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. present — the time now
  17. rule — a law
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. last — to go on
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. present — a gift
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. last — finally
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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