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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. track — to keep track
  3. track — a song
  4. rest — a break
  5. chest — a box
  6. foot — a measure
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. club — a group
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. track — a path
  15. dip — to sink
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. chest — of your body
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — what's left
  21. lie — to recline
  22. chest — of your body
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — for golf

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