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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. spell — magic
  3. can — a tin
  4. lean — thin
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. foot — a measure
  8. stem — to come from
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. can — to be able to
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. cap — a hat
  13. stock — shares
  14. cap — a lid
  15. bore — to tire
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. stock — goods
  19. cap — of ice
  20. spell — letters
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. can — a tin
  23. bore — to drill
  24. spell — a short time

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