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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — there
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. fall — to drop
  8. lean — thin
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. foot — a measure
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. chest — a box
  15. present — a gift
  16. rest — what's left
  17. chest — of your body
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. lean — to bend
  20. chest — of your body
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. foot — the bottom

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