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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. firm — decided
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. file — a document
  6. kid — child
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. kid — to tease
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. file — a tool
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — completely
  14. mark — a grade
  15. firm — steady
  16. stem — to come from
  17. mark — a trace
  18. firm — a company
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. foot — a measure
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. file — a line of people

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