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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. pound — a weight
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. firm — steady
  7. firm — a company
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. clip — to cut
  10. clip — for paper
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. stem — to come from
  13. clip — a video
  14. firm — decided
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. foot — a measure
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. stem — a stem cell

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