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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. mug — to rob
  4. band — a ring
  5. game — a match
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. can — to be able to
  8. mug — a face
  9. face — part of the head
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mug — a cup
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. face — to confront
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. can — a tin
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stem — to come from
  19. foot — a measure
  20. face — to point toward
  21. game — wild animals
  22. can — a tin
  23. band — a music group
  24. game — a kind of play

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