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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. stem — to come from
  4. toast — bread
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. present — there
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. present — the time now
  12. lie — to recline
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. kid — child
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. kid — to tease
  22. lean — thin
  23. present — a gift
  24. lie — an untruth

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