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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. ground — crushed
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. cell — a phone
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. cell — in biology
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. stem — to come from
  19. foot — a measure
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. wax — to grow
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — the earth
  24. mine — belonging to me

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